73.7L63 

3Gll|S 


Gammans,    Harold  Winsor 
Spirit  of  Ann  Rutledge 


LINCOLN  ROOM 

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BY  | 

HAROLD  WINSOR  GAMMANS 


Spirit  of  Ann  Rutledge 


A  DRAMA  OF  ABRAHAM  LINCOLN 
IN  FOUR  ACTS 


Copyright,   1927,  by   Samuel   French 


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Spirit  of  Ann  Rutledge 


A  DRAMA  OF  ABRAHAM  LINCOLN 
IN  FOUR  ACTS 


BY 
HAROLD  WINSOR  GAMMANS 


Copyright,   1927,   by    Samuel   French 


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Dedicated 

to 
My  Wife 


PREFACE 

My  response  to  the  reading  of  Mr.  Drinkwater's 
play,  "Abraham  Lincoln,"  was :  why  should  not  an 
American  write  a  play  on  our  great  President?  It 
seemed  to  me  that  a  number  of  other  good  plays 
might  be  written  about  him,  so  I  began  to  think  of  a 
Lincoln  play  from  an  entirely  different  point  of  view. 
The  influence  of  Ann  Rutledge  on  Lincoln  and  Lin- 
coln's belief  in  the  spirit  life  appeared  to  me  as  a 
dominant  motive  for  my  work. 

My  debt  to  American  historians  can  be  clearly 
seen  in  this  play,  and  I  wish  to  pay  tribute  especially 
to  the  work  of  Miss  Ida  Tarbell. 

This  play  was  first  presented  by  my  pupils  of  Cen- 
tral High  School,  Scranton,  Pa.  The  first  profes- 
sional performance  was  given  by  the  WGY  Players 
of  Schenectady,  New  York,  when  Ten  Eyck  Clay 
played  the  part  of  Lincoln,  and  Miss  Rosamond 
Greene,  the  part  of  Ann  Rutledge. 


CHARACTERS 

Hill,  one  of  the  Clary  boys. 

Namar,  alias  MacNeilc ,  from  whom  Lincoln  bought 
his  store. 

Dr.  Allen,  a  very  early  prohibition  leader. 

Rev.  Cameron,  preacher  of  the  town  of  Salem,  III. 

George,  a  runaway  slave. 

Miranda,  his  daughter. 

Ann  Rutledge,  betrothed  to  Abraham  Lincoln. 

Mentor  Graham,  Salem's  schoolmaster. 

Squire  Graham. 

Aunt  Nancy  Graham. 

Hampton,  a  slave-holder. 

Robson,  companion  of  Hampton. 

Abraham  Lincoln. 

William  Rutledge,  nephew  of  Ann  Rutledge. 

Mary  Lincoln,  wife  of  Abraham  Lincoln. 

Major  Derickson,  aide  of  Lincoln. 

Seward,  Secretary  of  State  under  Lincoln. 

John  Xicolai,  private  secretary  of  Lincoln. 

President  Buchanan. 

Roger  Whitney,  engineer  on  the  Gettysburg  train. 

Mendill,  editor  of  the  Chicago  Tribune. 

J.  Wilkes  Booth:. 

Stetson,  owner  and  manager  of  Ford's  Theatre. 

Ringer,  a  stage-hand  and  actor  of  small  parts. 

Miss  Fowler,  plays  the  leading  role  of  Angela  at 
Ford's  Theatre. 

!5iR  Ronald,  a  character  in  the  play  at  Ford's  Thea- 
tre. 

Mr.  Trunbull,  a  character  in  play  at  Ford's  Thea- 
tre. 

Soldiers  who  sing  backstage. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
.  in  2012  with  funding  from 
University  of  Illinois  Urbana-Champaign 


http://archive.org/details/spiritofannrutleOOgamm 


Spirit  of  Ann  Rutledge 

ACT  I 

Time:   1835. 

Place  :  A  road  in  the  town  of  Salem,  Illinois,  near 
Abe  Lincoln's  General  Store. 

Namar  slouches  in,  left,  looking  up  the  road 
fearfully.  Seeing  someone  coming,  he  goes  over 
to  a  rail  fence. 

Enter  Hill,  right. 

Hill.    Good  day,  neighbor. 

Namar.    Good  day. 

Hill.  (Stops,  surprised,  recognizing  the  voice  of 
NamarJ     You  back  here? 

Namar.    Sure  ;  Salem's  my  town. 

Hill.    It  was  three  years  ago,  David  Namar. 

Namar.  It  is  still ;  most  of  my  friends  are  here, 
and  that  makes  it  my  home  town. 

Hill.  You  have  to  think  just  a  little  about  your 
friends  before  you  leave  a  town  the  way  you  did  or 
you  may  not  find  them  when  you  come  back. 

Namar.  I'll  soon  find  out  who  my  friends  are. 
What  do  you  think  I'm  here  for  anyway? 

Hill.  I  dunno,  but  I  advise  you  to  clear  out — 
the  doctor's  coming. 

Namar.  The  old  pill  and  prohibition  man.  I'll 
sure  be  glad  to  see  his  blessed  face. 

(Enter  Dr.  Allen,  right.) 
5 


6  SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE        act  i 

Dr.  Allen.    Good  evening,  gentlemen. 

Namar.     How  do,  Doctor? 

Dr.  Allen.  How  do,  sir?  Namar's  your  name. 
I  didn't  suppose  you  were  ever  coming  again  to  these 
parts,  sir.  (Dr.  Allen  has  given  a  sign  which  Hill 
understands  to  get  Namar's  gun.  Dr.  Allen  grips 
Namar  while  Hill  gets  Namar's  gun,  then  lets  him 

go.) 

Namar.  I'm  going  to  show  him ;  I'm  going  to  kill 
him.    He's  got  my  store. 

Hill.  Abe  Lincoln  bought  your  store  from  you 
fair  and  square,  and  you  had  your  reasons,  I  sup- 
pose, for  clearing  out,  but  they  weren't  good  enough 
to  tell  anyone  in  Salem. 

Namar.  I  suppose  my  reputation  went  along  with 
my  store. 

Hill.     You  never  had  anything  like  that. 

Namar.  He's  got  my  girl,  the  woman  who  was  to 
be  my  wife. 

Dr.  Allen.  Be  peaceable,  Namar,  and  we'll  let 
you  off  this  time. 

Namar,  You  know  that's  the  truth,  Doctor;  Ann 
Rutledge  was  in  love  with  me;  Ann,  the  only  lily 
that  ever  bloomed  in  this  wilderness ;  Ann,  so  filled 
with  goodness  that  even  I  wanted  to  be  good. 
(Breaks  down  and  leans  on  the  rail-fence,  sobbing.) 

Dr.  Allen.    Where'd  he  drop  from  ? 

Hill.  I  dunno;  I  guess  hell  spued  him  up.  He 
never  came  down. 

Dr.  Allen.  Ann  never  would  have  married  that 
fellow. 

Namar.  Yes,  she  would ;  I  tell  you  she  would, 
and  I've  come  back  here  for  her. 

Dr.  Allen.  Have  a  sense  of  honor.  Namar.  You 
sold  out  and  cleared  out  mighty  quick. 

Namar.  Well,  what  of  it?  I  had  to  then,  but  I 
don't  have  to  now. 

Dr.  Allen.    You  wrote  back  to  town  that  you  had 


act  i        SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE  7 

even  changed  your  name  and  we  would  never  hear  of 
you  again. 

Namar.  That's  what  you  call  professional  con- 
fidence, I  suppose. 

Hill.    None  of  that  stuff,  Namar. 

Dr.  Allen.  Let  me  tell  him  that  the  way  he  acted 
nearly  cost  the  life  of  the  young  woman  at  the  time. 

Namar.  I  knew  I  stood  in  strong  with  her,  and 
I'll  bet  she  won't  turn  me  down  now.  Give  me  a 
chance. 

Hill.  Namar,  you  ought  to  know  that  you  are  in 
a  country  where  men  won't  stand  for  stuff  like  that. 
You  made  yourself  black  here  when  you  left  and 
black  you  stay.  Noone  will  believe  you  because 
noone  can. 

Namar.  Oh,  all  the  old  gang  ain't  dead  yet.  I've 
seen  some  of  the  other  Clary  boys,  and  they're  with 
me. 

Hill.  That's  a  lie ;  they  ain't  any  of  them  seen  a 
foot  of  you.  I'd  be  the  first  one  they'd  tell,  and  I'm 
the  first  one  of  the  Clary  boys  you've  seen.  The  old 
gang  is  a  few  years  older  than  when  I  had  my  fight 
with  Abe  Lincoln. 

Namar.  And  he  beat  you,  too,  as  I  remember. 
Beat  you  fair. 

Hill.  He  did,  and  I  fought  at  his  side  many  a 
day  in  the  War  with  Black  Hawk. 

Namar.  Oh,  that's  why  you're  on  dress  parade 
with  me:  you  are  one  of  the  heroes  who  spattered 
yourself  with  glory  in  that  pea-shooter  kid  contest. 

Dr.  Allen.  If  the  boys  get  hold  of  you  in  mis- 
chief in  this  town,  your  neck  might  feel  so  sore  you 
wouldn't  get  over  it,  and  if  James  Rutledge  heard 
what  you  just  said  here,  he  wouldn't  stand  for  it. 
Now  Hill  and  I  will  give  you  a  fair  chance  if  you'll 
promise  to  clear  out. 

Hill.  If  he'll  swear  on  his  honor  as  a  man  he'll 
clear  out. 


8  SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE        act  i 

Namar.  Then  on  my  honor  as  a  man.  I'll  get  out 
of  this  part  of  the  country.  E've  got  friends  other 
places.  Now  give  me  my  gun.  (Doctok  gives 
Namar  his  gun,  which  I  [ill  hands  to  him  reluctant- 
ly.    Namar  slouches  off  left.) 

Hill.  We  never  ought  to  let  that  feller  go;  you 
can't  trust  him.  I  never  thought  he'd  show  Up 
again  in  Salem. 

Dr.  Allen.  Oh,  I  helieve  in  giving  every  man  a 
chance.  We  didn't  have  any  charge  against  him.  and 
you  couldn't  have  him  locked  up  till  he  did  some- 
thing. We  never  did  know  just  why  he  cleared  out 
three  years  ago  and  changed  his  name. 

_  Hill.  The  hoys  would  know  how  to  deal  with 
him  tonight  and  they'll  all  be  coming  to  the  center 
soon  for  Abe  Lincoln's  speech. 

Dr.  Allen.  Yes  ;  and  there's  a  candidate  for  pub- 
lic office  who  doesn't  drink  a  drop. 

Hill.  But  he  doesn't  belong  to  your  prohibition 
club. 

(Enter  Rev.  Cameron,  right.) 

Rev.  Cameron.  I  suppose  you  gentlemen  will  be 
at  the  meeting  tonight  ? 

Dr.  Allen.  We  were  just  talking  about  it.  Rever- 
end.    Why,  we  wouldn't  miss  it  for — for 

Rev.  Cameron.    For  one  of  my  sermons. 

Dr.  Allen.  Not  even  for  that,  although  I  don't 
often  miss  one. 

Rev.  Cameron.    And  Hill  seldom  hears  one. 

Hill.    I  heard  one  Easter. 

Rev.  Cameron.  Was  it  the  same  one  I  preached 
the  Easter  before? 

Hill.  I  wouldn't  dare  answer  that  question,  sir. 
Good  day,  Reverend. 

Rev.  Cameron.     Good  day.  Hill. 

Dr.  Allen.    Good  evening,  Hill. 


act  i        SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE  9 

Hill.     Good  evening.     (Exit  Hill,  right.) 

Rev.  Cameron.  I'm  glad  he's  gone,  for  I  think  I 
see  a  little  cloud  of  dust  down  the  road. 

Dr.  Allen.  I'm  expecting  one — that's  why  I'm 
at  this  spot  now. 

Rev.  Cameron.  Shake  hands,  Doctor.  I  feared 
that  I  might  be  the  only  man  in  town  who  actually 
dared  help  the  poor  blacks  to  get  across  the  border. 

Dr.  Allen.  I'm  glad  you're  lined  up  right,  Rev- 
erend.   I  suppose  you  get  the  "Liberator"? 

Rev.  Cameron.  Yes ;  and  I've  been  lending  some 
copies  to  young  Lincoln.  That  man  is  going  to  be  a 
power  in  politics  some  day.  He's  seen  the  slaves 
sold  and  whipped  in  Louisiana,  and  I  can  guess  the 
way  his  mind  is  working.  I  haven't  said  a  word  to 
him  about  it  yet,  have  you? 

Dr.  Allen.     I  have,  and  he's  one  of  us. 

Rev.  Cameron.  That's  good.  Then  he  may  be 
able  to  help  us. 

Dr.  Allen.  (Peering  down  the  road)  It's  two 
black  folks. 

Rev.  Cameron.  The  load  on  the  underground 
railroad  is  getting  heavy. 

Dr.  Allen.    A  man  and  a  woman,  I  believe. 

Rev.  Cameron.    Come  here,  George  Jackson. 

(Enter  George,  left,  timidly.) 

George.  (Looking  back)  You  stay  where  you  is, 
girl. 

Slave  Girl.     ( Off  stage  left)     Yes,  Daddy. 
Dr.  Allen.    Let  the  child  come  here,  George. 

(Enter  Girl,  left.) 

Girl.  (Throwing  herself  at  the  feet  of  Doctor^ 
Oh,  massa,  massa,  you  be  good  to  him,  and  don'  min' 
'bout  me.    They  sho'  guine  kill  him  ef  dey  cotch  him. 


io  SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE        act  i 

Dr.  Allen.  All  right,  child.  Get  up.  (Girl 
gets  up  and  clings  to  her  father.  To  GeorgeJ 
Where'd  you  come  from,  George? 

George.  I  dunno;  I'm  dat  nigh  dead  dat  I  don't 
care.     I  didn't  know  the  whole  vvoild  was  so  big. 

Dr.  Allen.  Yes,  you  must  know,  and  we  must 
know.     Where  were  you  last  night? 

George.  I  was  in  de  blackest  woods  an'  I  dunno 
where.     I  bin  thar  days  an'  days  an' 

Dr.  Allen.  Do  you  think  anyone  is  following 
you? 

George.  I  know  dey  is,  all  de  time.  Dey  was  go- 
in'  to  sell  ma  chile  an'  leab  me. 

Rev.  Cameron.    Is  she  your  child? 

Girl.    I  is. 

George.  Yas,  sir;  an'  de  las'  one  lef  wid  me.  I 
don'  know  the  chillen  dey  tuk  away  an'  sol',  but  dey 
ain't  guine  ter  git  her.    Yo'  won't  let  um  ? 

(Enter  Abraham  Lincoln,  left,  carrying  an  axe.) 

Dr.  Allen.  Abraham,  can  you  hide  these  people 
for  the  night? 

Abe.  Why,  I  believe  I've  heard  of  a  nigger  in  a 
woodpile,  sir,  and  I've  a  good  one  in  my  shed,  a  good 
woodpile. 

Dr.  Allen.  This  is  no  time  for  jokes,  Lincoln : 
it's  a  matter  of  death  or  freedom  to  these  two  human 
beings. 

Abe.  A  matter  of  death  or  freedom,  sir?  Then 
tell  me  what  you  expect  of  me. 

Dr.  Allen.     We  expect  you  to  save  them. 

George.  Oh,  massa,  save  dis  chile.  She's  good  as 
if  she  had  white  face  an'  ban's  an'  wings,  an'  she'll 
woik,  an'  I'll  woik,  an'  de  Lord  will  bress  you — yes, 
He  will,  'cause  he  loves  us,  too. 

Abe.  (To  Doctor  and  Reverend,)  I  don't  know 
why  you  are  asking  me  to  take  care  of  these  people, 


act  i        SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE  n 

but  it  doesn't  matter  why.  I'll  take  them  in  and  pro- 
tect them  for  the  night  as  best  as  I  can. 

Dr.  Allen.  I  knew  you  would.  A  man  like  you 
couldn't  read  the  words  of  Garrison  and  see  what 
you  saw* yourself  on  the  Mississippi  without  respond- 
ing as  you  have  done.  There  are  reasons  which  we 
will  tell  you  later  why  Rev.  Cameron  and  I  can't 
well  take  them  to  our  homes  tonight. 

Abe.  I'll  put  them  where  they'll  be  safe  till  morn- 
ing, sir,  down  the  road  in  my  woodshed.  I  was  just 
going  for  some  wood  for  a  bonfire.  I  reckon  it'll  be 
a  smart  cold  evening,  and  I  wouldn't  want  anyone  to 
get  cold  listening  to  my  speech.  (To  George,)  Come 
on,  Othello,  and — (To  GirlJ — you,  too,  Miranda. 
(Lincoln  and  slaves  exit,  right.) 

Dr.  Allen.  That  man  will  go  to  the  State  Legis- 
lature. 

Rev.  Cameron.  None  from  this  town  has  a  show 
for  anything  this  year ;  of  course,  the  town  will  back 
him  as  strong  as  it  can. 

Dr.  Allen.  I  didn't  say  this  year,  but  in  time. 
That  young  man's  words  carry  force  with  them ; 
he's  honest  clean  through,  and  he  judges  keenly. 

Rev.  Cameron.  But  that  way  he  has  of  joking — 
I  don't  quite  know  about  it  for  a  public  man. 

Dr.  Allen.  It's  a  balancer.  Why !  when  he's 
making  a  speech  it  just  seems  as  if  he  was  talking  to 
you  in  his  own  store. 

(Enter    Mentor    Graham    and    Ann    Rutledge, 
right.) 

Rev.    Cameron.     Good   evening,    Miss   Rutledge. 
Good  evening,  Mr.  Graham. 
Ann.    Good  evening,  sir. 

Graham.     Good  evening,  pastor,  and  Dr.  Allen. 
Ann.    Good  evening,  Dr.  Allen. 
Dr.  Allen.    Good  evening,  Miss  Ann.    I  suppose 


12  SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE        acti 

you  are  polishing  up  a  bit  for  going  to  Johnsville 
Academy,  but  don't  forget  about  your  health.  I 
reckon  when  you've  spent  a  year  at  Johnsville  you'll 
come  back  to  us  so  learned 

Ann.  So  learned  that  I  may  be  of  a  little  more 
use  in  the  town  where  I  live. 

Dr.  Allen.  That's  a  pretty  good  aim  for  an  edu- 
cation— to  be  a  little  more  use  in  the  town  where  you 
live.    Did  you  get  that  from  your  teacher? 

Graham.  I  don't  think  I  ever  phrased  it  just  that 
way,  Doctor.  Ann  and  Abraham  have  been  study- 
ing "Kirkham's  Grammar"  so  industriously  that  I 
think  you  may  have  noted  the  growing  improvement 
in  their  speech. 

Ann.  Mr.  Graham,  don't  forget  the  other  books 
that  Abraham — I  mean  that  Mr.  Lincoln  has  been 
reading  this  summer. 

Rev.  Cameron.  Arid  you  have  read  them,  too, 
Ann? 

Ann.    Yes,  most  of  them,  sir. 

Dr.  Allen.  I  was  on  my  way  to  see  a  patient 
when  I  met  Rev.  Cameron. 

Rev.  Cameron.  And  I  think  the  same  patient  may 
be  expecting  me.  You  know  some  folks  do  expect  a 
minister  to  keep  calling  on  them  even  if  they  have 
been  ailing  for  ten  years.  Good  evening.  (Rever- 
end catches  up  until  Doctor  gradually  and  they  both 
go  out  right.) 

Graham.  Good  evening,  gentlemen.  (After 
they  have  left)     Ann,  you're  tired  tonight. 

Ann.  Yes,  Mr.  Graham ;  I  don't  know  what's 
come  over  me  today,  but  I  didn't  want  to  walk  down 
the  street  of  our  little  town  alone.  You  must  have 
thought  it  a  little  strange  that  I  asked  if  I  might  walk 
with  you. 

Graham.  No,  Ann;  I've  known  you  ever  since 
you  were  a  little  girl  and  all  the  way  through  school. 
I  know  that  you  have  a  mind  finely  strung  like  a  rare 


act  i  SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE  13 

violin  and  you  cannot  help  being  sensitive.  Abe  Lin- 
coln understands  you,  for  his  temperament  is  much 
the  same  as  yours.  If  it  were  not  for  his  keen  sense 
of  humor,  he  could  not  have  mastered  himself  as  he 
has  done  before  the  people  of  this  town. 

Ann.  I  think  he's  coming  out  of  the  door  of  his 
wood-house  now. 

Graham.    Then  I  must  be  going. 

Ann.  Please  wait,  Mr.  Graham.  I  have  a  ques- 
tion to  ask  you. 

Graham.  Another  reason  why  I  had  better  not 
wait.  I  cannot  always  answer  your  questions  nor 
his. 

(Enter  Abe  Lincoln,  left.) 

Abe.  Don't  hurry  off,  Mr.  Graham.  I  wanted 
you  to  tell  me  about  a  certain  matter  of  syntax. 

Graham.  Abraham,  that  reminds  me  of  the  story 
about  a  famous  preacher  of  whom  it  was  said, 
"Father  Taylor  often  lost  his  nominative  case,  but  he 
got  to  heaven  just  the  same." 

Abe.  But  the  nominative  case  is  the  one  case  in 
grammar  that  I  am  not  going  to  lose,  Mr.  Graham, 
for  Kirkham  seems  to  show  clearly  that  if  you  keep 
that  case  straight  the  other  cases  will  take  care  of 
themselves. 

Graham.  Yes,  and  you  will  master  grammar  if 
you  keep  on,  Abraham.     Good  evening. 

Abe.  Good  evening,  sir,  and  if  you  pass  by  the 
store,  will  you  please  tell  my  partner  I  may  not  be 
back  for  a  little  ? 

Graham.    For  a  little  while? 

Abe.  I  beg  your  pardon.  Mr.  Graham — for  a  little 
while.    (Exit  Graham,  right.) 

Ann.   I  meant  to  return  this  book  to  Mr.  Graham. 

Abe.    Don't  call  him  back.     I  think  I  still  need  it. 


i4  SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE        act  i 

Ann.  You  know  grammar  better  than  I  do.  (She 
sits  on  a  log  as  if  tired.) 

Abe.    Ann  Rutledge,  you've  been  crying  today. 

Ann.  Yes ;  1  suppose  it  must  be  about  going  away 
to  the  academy  now  it's  so  near. 

Abe.  (Taking  her  hand)  Ann,  there's  nothing 
you  can't  tell  me  ? 

Ann.  No,  Abie,  nothing;  only  I  don't  know  how 
to  express  it.  Today  the  whole  past  seemed  to  come 
before  me  like  an  endless  marching  throng,  and  I 
felt  as  if  the  past  were  the  real  and  I  the  unreal  and 
the  future  seemed  to  follow  the  past  in  countless 
ranks  into  a  realm  that  was  very  fair,  but  terrible  in 
its  vastness.  Can  your  mind  travel  to  the  beyond, 
Abraham  ? 

Abe.  Ann,  I  know  that  there  is  a  beyond,  but  I 
cannot  see  into  it.  Ann,  you  are  my  quide,  you  are 
my  hope.  Oh,  Ann,  Ann — (Grasps  both  her  hands) 
— it  cannot  be  that  your  wonderful  self  can  ever  be 
parted  from  me,  that  your  body  can  be  snatched  from 
my  body.     My  whole  life  is  only  you. 

Ann.  I  believe  that  you  mean  it,  Abraham,  al- 
though I  have  known  a  man  who  did  not  mean  it. 

Abe.  Ann,  I  will  lay  my  life  bare  before  you.  I 
have  told  you  of  the  tender  mother  who  carried  me 
so  close  to  her  heart  and  of  the  fair  soul  who  took 
her  place  and  who  still  lives. 

Ann.   Yes,  and  I  revere  them  as  you  revere  them. 

Abe.  I  can  never  forget  the  life  I  owe  to  them, 
the  love  I  owe  to  them.  I  was  in  them,  a  part  of 
them,  you  understand.  So  I  will  become  even  more  a 
part  of  you.  You  understand  how  they  are  every- 
thing and  yet  how  you  are  everything  ? 

Ann.  Yes,  and  as  you  enter  into  my  very  life 
and  become  one  with  me,  I  would  not  have  you  take 
away  the  smallest  particle  of  the  love  you  bear  these 
good  women. 


act  i        SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE  15 

Abe.  Shall  I  tell  you  again  of  my  early  romantic 
dream  ? 

Ann.     You  have  already  told  me,  Abraham. 

Abe,     And  you  do  not  wish  to  hear  it  again? 

Ann.  No  ;  other  things  possess  me  today.  Abra- 
ham, if  at  any  time  I  should  be  called  to  join  that 
company  of  the  past  and  of  the  future  that  seemed 
so  real  to  me  today 

Abe.  I  would  follow.  I  would  not  live  without 
you.    My  God !    Do  you  know  how  I  love  you  ? 

Ann.  If  you  should  follow  me  in  the  way  you 
now  plan,  you  would  not  find  me  for  long,  long 
ages,  but  if  you  follow  me  as  a  wiser  providence  pro- 
vides, I  know  we  shall  always  be  together.  I  do  not 
think  I  would  care  even  if  you  were  the  husband  of 
another  then. 

Abe.  (Rising,  intensely  moved)  Ann,  you  would 
not  hear  me  speak  again  of  an  early  romantic  dream, 
but  now  you  tell  me  of  terrible  phantoms.  The 
words  you  have  spoken  have  beaten  on  my  soul  as  a 
storm  beats  on  a  tree  and  lightning  shatters  its  trunk 
and  pierces  its  heart  and  it  falls  in  splinters.  Ann, 
if  you  love  me,  never  speak  this  way  again. 

Ann.  I  must  if  I  love  you,  and  I  do  love  you,  soul 
and  body.  Love  can  face  the  solemnities  of  life  calm- 
ly. You  remember  in  the  most  familiar  of  the  psalms 
it  says :  "Though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the 
shadow  of  death,  I  will  fear  no  evil."  Is  it  not  beau- 
tiful, Abraham? 

Abe.    Yes,  as  your  lips  repeat  it,  it  is  beautiful. 

Ann.    Abraham,  you  can  see. 

Abe.  I  can  see  that  you  know  a  world  I  hope 
through  you  to  know.     (A  moment's  silence.) 

Ann.  Were  you  not  at  the  wood-shed  before  you 
came  here  ? 

Abe,     Why,  yes. 

Ann.    You  must  have  been  there  some  time. 

Abe.    I  dare  say  I  was. 


16  SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE        acti 

Ann.  But  you  are  returning  from  it  without  any 
logs  with  you,  not  even  a  stick. 

Abe.  I  was  there  on  another  business  :  I  was  busy 
concealing  two  slaves  in  there,  a  father  and  a  daugh- 
ter. When  I  saw  the  girl  in  distress  I  thought  of 
what  you  have  said  about  slavery  and  I  had  to  help 
them. 

Ann.    Then  you  are  going  to  try  to  free  them? 

Abe.  I  don't  know  whether  it's  wholly  right :  I 
can't  see  how  a  man  can  keep  another  man  as  a  slave, 
can  call  a  stolen  human  being  his  and  trade  on  the  ig- 
norance of  the  black  and  his  children  forever,  but  I 
saw  good  people  in  the  South  who  were  better  than  I 
and  they  believed  it  was  right.  I  saw  cruel  ones,  too, 
but  somehow  I  had  to  hide  these  two  slaves  in  my 
shed  tonight. 

Ann.  And  wouldn't  you  help  in  this  same  way  if 
other  slaves  came  here  and  needed  your  help  ? 

Abe.  I  dare  say  I  would,  but  I  don't  know.  I 
wouldn't  want  them  to  have  to  go  back  and  be  slaves 
again  after  they  had  gotten  this  far  toward  freedom. 

Ann.  A  few  good  people  may  hold  their  slaves  in 
a  way  that  is  right,  but  most  of  the  slave-holders 
can't  be  good  and  the  principle  of  slavery  is  wrong. 
You  have  been  reading  the  "Liberator"  and  you 
know  what  William  Lloyd  Garrison  says  is  true. 
Abraham,  you  are  going  to  be  a  leader  of  this  coun- 
try some  day,  a  greater  leader  than  Garrison. 

Abe.  I  hardly  think  that,  Ann,  and  not  quite  in 
the  way  he  is.  I  may  get  to  the  Assembly  if  I  keep 
on  for  ten  or  fifteen  years,  and  I'm  going  to  do  my 
best  to  get  there. 

Ann.     I  know  you  will  succeed  far  beyond  that. 

Abe.  I'm  glad  you  think  so  highly  of  my  possi- 
bilities, Ann,  and  I'll  strive  to  get  to  Washington  if 
you  wish  it,  but  even  the  Assembly  may  be  a  long 
way  off.  I  think  this  town  is  with  me  and  the  coun- 
try may  be  some  day. 


act  i        SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE  17 

Ann.  Every  honest  man  in  the  town  of  Salem  is 
going  to  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln,  and  when  a 
town  looks  on  a  young  man  as  it  does  on  you,  other 
towns  and  cities  will  follow  in  time. 

Abe.  I  hope  so  for  your  sake,  Ann.  I  want  to  be 
a  man  of  whom  you'll  be  proud  in  public  life. 

Ann.  I  will  be  proud  of  you  as  your  country's 
servant. 

(Enter  Squire  Greene  and  Aunt  Nancy  Greene. 
The  men  gradually  pair  off  while  Ann  and 
Aunt  Nancy  do  likewise.) 

Squire.  You  aren't  forgetting  about  your  speech 
tonight,  are  you,  Abraham? 

Abe.    No,  Squire. 

Aunt  Nancy.  These  men  think  that  their  poli- 
tics are  the  world  and  all,  Ann.  I'm  glad  I'm  a  wo- 
man and  don't  have  to  think  about  such  things. 

Ann.    But  I  think  about  them,  Aunt  Nancy. 

Aunt  Nancy.  Well,  women  ain't  ever  had  any- 
thing to  do  with  politics  since  the  world  began. 

Ann.  But  there  have  been  queens,  Aunt  Nancy, 
and  even  queens  who  ruled. 

Aunt  Nancy.  I  suppose  you  mean  such  crea- 
tures as  that  Egyptian  Cleopatry — she  was  awfully 
wicked,  and  I  hope  you  don't  know  much  about  her. 

Abe.  You  must  read  Shakespeare,  Mrs.  Greene, 
and  I  think  there  are  few  plays  of  Shakespeare  which 
Ann  hasn't  read. 

Ann.  Oh,  I  haven't  read  more  than  half  of  them, 
Abraham. 

Aunt  Nancy.  That's  more  than  enough  to  last 
you  a  life-time.  Dear  me,  if  there's  any  more  wo- 
men in  them  like  Lady  Macbeth  and  Cleopatry — 
them's  what  stopped  me  reading  Shakespeare  and  the 
hard  words  he  uses.  Now  when  I  read  the  "Mer- 
chant of   Venus,"   I   thought  I   was  going  to  love 


18  SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE        acti 

everything  that  Englishman  ever  wrote.  I  did  just 
love  Portia  and  Jessica. 

Abe.  And  Portia  may  almost  be  considered  both 
a  ruler  and  a  lawyer,  which  combination  makes  a 
prince  of  politicians,  Aunt  Nancy,  if  you  will  pardon 
me  for  the  suggestion. 

Aunt  Nancy.  Of  course,  Abraham,  but  that's 
just  in  the  play,  and  she  was  more  ambitious  about 
getting  a  good  husband  than  of  ruling,  as  I  remem- 
ber. I  guess  when  she  landed  Bassanio  safely  home 
she  let  him  rule. 

Squire.  I  never  saw  much  sense  to  those  stories, 
did  you,  Lincoln? 

Abe.  Yes,  sir,  I  did ;  and  now  that  you  and  Mrs. 
Greene  have  come  along  to  walk  home  with  Ann,  I 
better  go  to  the  store  and  see  about  helping  close  up. 
I  hope  I  shall  see  you  all  this  evening. 

Ann.     I  won't  forget,  and  you  won't  forget. 

Abe.  No,  Ann.  I  won't  forget  this  evening. 
(Exit  Lincoln,  right.  Ann  looks  after  Abe  and 
takes  Aunt  Nancy's  arm.) 

Aunt  Nancy.  Come  along,  Ann,  it's  getting  fast 
toward  supper  time,  and  you'll  want  to  dress  for  the 
evening,  and  so  do  I.  I  like  to  hear  Mr.  Lincoln 
speak — he  says  such  funny  things. 

Ann.     I  never  thought  his  speeches  were  funny. 

Aunt  Nancy.  I  don't  just  mean  that  his  speeches 
are  funny. 

Ann.    But  that  was  what  you  said. 

Squire.  Oh,  Ann,  mother  means  that  he  tells  a 
funny  story  in  some  of  his  talks. 

Ann.  Oh,  I  understand,  Squire.  You  see,  some- 
times I  go  over  Abraham's  speeches  with  him  before 
he  delivers  them,  and  I  wondered  if  I  had  advised 
him  wrongly. 

Squire.  You  couldn't  advise  a  man  wrongly,  my 
dear  child. 

Aunt  Nancy.     Isn't  he  a  dear  old  flatterer,  Ann? 


act  i        SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE  19 

Ann.  Yes.  (Begins  to  cry  softly  on  Aunt  Nan- 
cy's shoulder.) 

Aunt  Nancy.  I  didn't  mean  anything.  You 
know  your  Aunt  Nancy?  I  think  Abraham  is  the 
finest  young  man  in  town.  Why,  I  think  he  may  even 
be  elected  to  the  assembly  after  he  gives  his  speech 
tonight. 

Squire.  Oh,  Ann  is  just  shedding  tears  of  joy, 
aren't  you,  Ann?  Don't  you  remember,  Nancy, 
when  you  were  in  love  and  had  those  spells? 

Aunt  Nancy.  You  didn't  call  them  'spells'  then. 
You  called  them  'pearls  of  love'. 

Squire.    That's  what  they  were,  Nancy. 

(Cries  off  stage  left  at  first  indistinct,  then  the  words 
of  George,  "Help!  Massa!  I'm  dying,  massa!" 
Enter  Hampton  and  Robson,  left,  followed  by 
the  two  cringing  slaves.  Namar  sneaks  in  back 
of  them  where  he  is  not  observed  by  Ann.J 

Hampton.  Where's  the  thief  that  owns  that 
wood-shed  ? 

Squire.  Sir,  you  are  not  in  a  town  where  gen- 
tlemen call  one  another  thieves,  but  in  an  honest  Illi- 
nois town. 

Hampton.  Gentlemen,  you  call  yourselves ;  I 
haven't  seen  any  gentlemen  since  I  came  north  fol- 
lowing up  my  slaves,  but  you  may  use  the  word  dif- 
ferently in  this  part  of  the  country. 

Squire.  I  beg  pardon,  sir;  I  should  have  said 
"men  of  this  town,"  and  we  have  men  made  in  God's 
image  in  this  town  of  Salem  and  state  of  Illinois. 

Robson.  Excuse  my  friend,  sir ;  he's  hasty  and 
he's  had  a  hard  time  finding  these  black  rascals,  and 
their  hides  will  pay  for  it. 

Hampton.  They  sure  will.  I'll  beat  them,  and 
I'll  thrash  them  within  an  inch  of  their  lives. 


20  SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE        acti 

Ann.  Oh,  sir,  one  is  a  woman,  hardly  more  than 
a  girl. 

Hampton.  I  know,  and  a  valuable  piece  of  prop- 
erty, light-colored.  The  old  man  is  hardly  worth  his 
keep. 

Girl.     Miss !    Lady ! 

Hampton.  Be  still.  How  do  you  dare  to  speak 
to  a  white  woman?  (To  AnnJ  I  thought  a  slave  of 
mine  would  know  better,  but  that's  what  a  week  of 
freedom  has  done.  You  can  imagine  the  results  of 
these  blacks  ever  being  free.  They  wouldn't  leave  a 
street  for  you  to  walk  on ;  no  one  in  this  country 
would  be  safe  from  them. 

Aunt  Nancy.  My  family  came  from  Virginia, 
sir.  We  had  slaves  there  when  I  was  a  girl,  but 
slavery  now  seems  to  me  a  blot  on  our  whole  coun- 
try. 

Robson.  Madam,  I  hope  you  will  pardon  me  for 
saying  that  is  a  dangerous  thing  to  say.  (To 
Squire)  Perhaps  you  will  inform  us  who  keeps 
that  shed  or  owns  it.  I  think  it  would  be  better  for 
you  to  let  us  know  and  we  may  be  able  to  settle  the 
matter  quietly.  Of  course,  these  blacks  might  have 
sneaked  in  there  and  hidden  themselves. 

Hampton.  We  have  the  law  on  our  side  if  we 
can't  settle  it  with  the  owner  of  that  wood-shed,  but 
we're  men  of  peace  if  one  treats  us  square. 

Aunt  Nancy.  The  man  who  owns  that  shed  will 
treat  you  square,  and  you'd  better  not  say  a  word 
against  honest  Abe  Lincoln  around  here. 

Squire.  He'll  be  glad  to  meet  you,  sir.  I'll  go 
and  tell  him  if  you'll  wait  here.  Come  with  mother 
and  me,  Ann. 

Ann.  Then  the  other  woman  would  be  alone. 
I'll  wait  here,  and  tell  Abraham  I  am  waiting  for 
him.     (Squire  and  Aunt  Nancy  go  out  right.) 

Hampton.  I  hope  we  have  not  offended  you  by 
our  roughness,  Miss ;  it  was  only  our  excitement. 


act  i        SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE  21 

Ann.  I  stayed  here  for  only  one  reason.  Name 
the  price  of  those  two  human  souls  and  I  will  pay  it. 

Hampton.  Miss,  your  heart  is  too  tender.  They 
ain't  worth  it.    You  want  to  set  them  free,  I  suppose. 

Girl.    Thank  de  Lord. 

George.    Praise 

Hampton.  Make  your  praise  silently.  (To  Annj 
Now,  Miss. 

Ann.  Name  your  price  and  I  will  try  to  pay,  and 
the  man  who  is  to  be  my  husband  will  be  responsible. 

Namar.  The  man  who  is  to  be  your  husband  will 
not  pay  for  any  niggers. 

Ann.     Why!     David!    David  Namar! 

Hampton.    She  knows  him. 

Ann.    Yes,  but 

Namar.  You're  right,  Ann  Rutledge  knows  me. 
A  woman  doesn't  forget  the  man  she  has  loved  even 
if  he  is  gone  three  years. 

Ann.  David,  you  can't  say  such  things  now.  You 
know  that  you  said  you  would  never  come  back  to 
this  part  of  the  country.     Oh,  go,  please  go. 

Namar.    These  men  know  that  you  belong  to  me. 

Ann.  No,  no,  sirs ;  won't  you  tell  him  he  can't 
talk  to  me  like  this?    Won't  you,  please? 

Robson.  Say,  man,  you're  carrying  this  too  far. 
She's  a  white  lady. 

Namar.  I  helped  you  find  your  slaves  in  Abe 
Lincoln's  shed,  and  now  all  I  ask  you  is  to  stand 
aside  and  let  me  take  what  belongs  to  me.  Ann  Rut- 
ledge,  you  are  going  with  me  now.  You  promised  to 
marry  me  and  you  are  going  to  keep  that  promise. 

Ann.  I  can't.  You  know  I  can't.  You  went 
away  and  just  left  me ;  you  showed  that  you  never 
loved  me.     There  is  my  husband,  Abraham  Lincoln. 

(Enter  Lincoln.J 

Hampton.  The  fellow  that  tried  to  steal  our 
slaves. 


22  SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE        acti 

Ann.    (Fainting  in  Lincoln's  arms)   Abraham — 

Abe.  Stand  back,  I  tell  you ;  stand  back.  Namar, 
you've  killed  her.    Ann  ! 

Hampton.  What  about  our  slaves  in  your  wood- 
shed? 

Abe.     I'll  settle  with  that,  sir,  only  go  now. 

(All  go  out  gradually  except  Ann  and  Abraham. 
The  Slave  Girl  fearfully  kisses  the  hand  of 
Ann  as  she  passes  her.) 

Ann.    Abraham,  he  was 


Abe.  None  shall  touch  you,  dear.  He  is  not 
here  any  longer. 

Ann.  And  the  men.  I  wanted  to  buy  their  slaves 
and  free  them.  Slavery  is  wrong.  You'll  free  them, 
won't  you? 

Abe.  Yes,  Ann.  I'll  buy  them;  I'll  free  them. 
Only  don't  leave  me. 

Ann.  I  will  never  leave  you,  Abraham.  I  will  al- 
ways be  with  you. 

Abe.  Ann,  I  believe  you.  (Ann  falls  back  in  his 
arms.) 

CURTAIN 


ACT  II 

Scene  :  A  reception  room  in  the  White  House. 

Time:   March  4,  1861. 

William  Rutledge  is  sitting  at  the  left  of  the  big 
center  table,  nervous  and  ill-at-ease. 

Mary  Lincoln  sweeps  grandly  into  the  room 
through  the  door  at  right  and  seems  to  quite 
overlook  the  young  man  as  she  comes  toward 
him. 

Rutledge.    (Rising)    Madam- 


Mary  Lincoln.  Oh,  I  hardly  expected  any 
strangers  would  call  this  morning,  sir.  May  I  ask 
who  admitted  you  ? 

Rutledge.  It  was  a  guard  or  something  like  that 
in  uniform — I  don't  know  his  name  if  that  is  what 
you  mean,  Mrs.  Lincoln. 

Mary.     How  did  you  know  I  was  Mrs.  Lincoln? 

Rutledge.  Why,  the  way  you  came  in — you  are 
Mrs.  Lincoln,  aren't  you? 

Mary.    Yes,  I  am  Mrs.  Abraham  Lincoln. 

Rutledge.  I  was  sure  you  were.  May  I  see 
President  Lincoln? 

Mary.  I  hardly  think  so,  sir.  It  must  have  been 
a  mistake  of  one  of  the  aides  in  admitting  you  this 
morning.  The  directions  were  that  only  members  of 
Mr.  Lincoln's  cabinet  and  President  Buchanan  might 
be  admitted  this  morning,  and  you  are  certainly  none 
of  these. 

Rutledge.  No,  madam ;  I  am  none  of  these,  and 
I  seek  nothing  for  myself.    I  came  only  with  a  mes- 

23 


24  SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE       act  n 

sage  which  I  believe  that  President  Lincoln  would 
wish  to  receive  and  the  guard  seemed  to  Ik-  persuaded 
when  I  told  him  this. 

Mary.  It  is  strange,  young  man,  that  you  should 
have  a  special  message  to  President  Lincoln  on  the 
morning  of  his  inauguration  that  you  feel  you  must 
deliver  in  person. 

Rutledge.     Yes,    my    message    might    be    called 
strange,  but  President  Lincoln  would  not  think  it  so. 
Mary.      May    I   ask   your   name,    sir.    and    if    the 
President  knows  you  ? 

Rutledge.     Rutledge,  madam,  William  Rutledge. 
Mary.      I   think   I   have  heard   the    name  before. 
Rutledge  !    It  is  an  Illinois  name. 

Rutledge.  Mr.  Lincoln  must  have  told  it  to  you, 
madam. 

Mary.    Why  should  he  ? 

Rutledge.  Because  he  knew  and  loved  Ann  Rut- 
ledge once,  and  my  message  is  from  the  spirit  of  Ann 
Rutledge. 

Mary.  Now  I  come  to  think  it  over,  Abraham 
has  mentioned  her.  I  am  sure  he  would  be  glad  to  re- 
ceive a  message  from  her  spirit  at  a  more  opportune 
time. 

Rutledge.  (Deeply  pained  as  a  person  who  be- 
lieves in  spirit  message)  I  don't  know  what  to  say, 
madam.  I  hoped  I  might — I  believe  he  would  want 
to  hear  it.  I  won't  trouble  you  again  if  you  will  let 
me  see — tell  this  to  him.  I  don't  know  how  I  got  up 
the  courage  to  come  here  nor  how  I  got  in.  Please, 
let  me  see  him,  Mrs.  Lincoln. 

Mary.  It  is  quite  impossible,  Mr.  Rutledge.  I 
am  sorry.    You  might  give  me  the  message. 

Rutledge.  But,  Mrs.  Lincoln,  don't  you  under- 
stand— I  would  prefer 

Mary.  Oh,  I  know  very  well  you  would  prefer  to 
give  it  to  him  in  person,  but  as  I  just  said,  that  is 


act  ii       SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE  25 

quite  impossible.    If  I  could  not  give  it  to  him  prop- 
erly, how  could  you  ? 

Rutledge.  Mrs.  Lincoln,  you  don't  understand — 
the  words  from  the  other  world  may  not  be  so  much 
measured  by  common  standards — it  is  carrying  out 
the  bidding  of  the  spirit  and  having  him  know  that  it 
really  comes  from  Ann  Rutledge. 

(Enter  Major  Derickson,  center.) 

Derickson.  Mr.  Seward  wishes  to  wait  on  the 
President  if  possible  this  morning  some  time  before 
he  goes  to  the  inauguration,  madam.  Shall  I  take  the 
message  to  him  ? 

Mary.  Tell  Mr.  Seward  that  Mr.  Lincoln  will 
be  glad  to  see  him  shortly  and  ask  him  to  wait  in  the 
next  room  a  few  moments.  Mr.  Lincoln  has  not  fin- 
ished his  breakfast  yet.  And  give  my  personal  greet- 
ings to  Mr.  Seward,  to  Secretary  Seward. 

Derickson.    Yes,  Mrs.  Lincoln. 

Mary.  Thank  you,  Major  Derickson.  (Nodding 
in  a  fairly  agreeable  but  patronizing  manner.)  And 
you  might  reannounce  Secretary  Seward  in  about  ten 
minutes. 

Derickson.  Yes,  Mrs.  Lincoln.  (Exit  Derick- 
son, center.) 

Mary.  Mr.  Seward  is  to  be  President  Lincoln's 
Secretary  of  State,  and  I  believe  that  the  message  he 
has  will  be  of  more  importance  than  the  one  which 
you  have  at  this  time,  Mr.  Rutledge. 

Rutledge.  It  may  be,  Mrs.  Lincoln,  but  I  do  not 
understand  how  it  could  be.  Those  from  the  other 
world  can  guide  us  in  the  better  way — they  always 
have.    But  I  will  go  now  if  you  wish.     (Rises.) 

Mary.  (In  a  slightly  kinder  tone)  I  suppose  the 
message  was  just  an  assurance  that  all  will  be  well 
with  Mr.  Lincoln  as  he  becomes  the  guide  of  this 
great  country  ? 


26  SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE       actii 

Rutledge.  It  was  more  than  that,  Mrs.  Lincoln. 
President  Lincoln  will  do  more  than  that. 

Mary.  Oh,  thank  you;  Mr.  Lincoln  would  not 
wish  to  be  able  to  do  more  than  that,  I  am  sure. 
Good  morning. 

(Rutledge  walks  to  the  center  door  in  a  downcast 
way,  but  as  he  comes  to  the  door,  his  face  sud- 
denly lights  up.) 

Rutledge.     Perhaps  she  will  tell  him  herself. 
Mary.     Perhaps. 

(As  Rutledge  places  his  hand  on  the  doorknob,  Der- 
ickson  opens  the  door.  Rutledge  goes  out. 
Derickson  comes  in  with  hesitant  step.) 

Derickson.  Excuse  me,  Mrs.  Lincoln,  but  I 
thought  the  President  might  wish  to  see  the  young 
man  who  has  just  left.  He  has  a  convincing  way 
with  him. 

Mary.  Yes,  but  the  President  could  not  see  him 
this  morning ;  in  fact,  if  he  should  happen  to  get  as 
far  as  you  again  I  do  not  think  I  would  recommend 
your  bringing  his  name  to  the  President. 

Derickson.  Yes,  Mrs.  Lincoln.  I  hope  he  was 
not  annoying  to  you.     He  seemed  quite  inoffensive. 

Mary.  No,  indeed,  or  I  should  have  called  you. 
But  he  is  a  petty  person,  so  please  remember. 

Derickson.  I  will,  Mrs.  Lincoln,  and  Mr.  Sew- 
ard said  he  would  wait. 

(Enter  Abraham  Lincoln,  right.) 

Abe.  (Wiping  his  mouth  with  the  back  of  his 
hand)  You  certainly  got  me  up  on  time  this  morn- 
ing, Mary,  and  I  guess  there's  plenty  of  reason  for  it 
as  long  as  we  are  going  to  be  inaugurated. 


act  ii       SPIRIT  OF  AXX  RUTLEDGE  2j 

Mary.     This  is  a  proud  day  for  us,  Abraham. 

Abe.  A  day  of  tremendous  weight,  Mary,  a  day 
that  tries  my  soul. 

Mary.  But  your  speech  is  all  prepared,  Abraham, 
and  you  have  not  a  single  thing  to  worry  about. 

Abe.  It's  not  the  speech,  Mary,  although  I  may 
change  it  yet.  I  shall  probably  never  make  a  very 
good  speech,  but  I  feel  that  words  have  a  new  power 
with  each  new  responsibility  in  life. 

Mary.  Well,  you  mustn't  let  yourself  get  into 
one  of  vour  queer  spells.  I  guess  you  need  to  read  a 
funny  book.  Shall  I  get  "Josh  Billings"?  (Starts 
to  walk  toward  the  mantel  where  there  are  books.) 

Abe.  Thank  you,  Mary,  not  now.  I'm  all  right. 
Has  anyone  called  this  morning? 

Mary.  I  suppose  a  great  many  people  have  called, 
but  they  have  not  been  admitted  to  worry  you.  Mr. 
Seward  was  announced  a  few  minutes  ago,  and  I 
told  Major  Derickson  you  would  see  him  in  ten  min- 
utes. You  had  better  sit  down  and  we  can  talk  quiet- 
ly together  about  something.  You've  been  under  a 
great  strain.  Abraham.  I  know  what  it  has  meant  to 
plan  a  campaign  as  you  have  done ;  you  studied  every 
section  of  this  country  and  know  it  through  and 
through. 

Abe.  Yes,  I  have  studied  my  country  carefully, 
and  I  belong  to  my  country.  I  must  lead  it  now 
through  four  years,  but  it  really  does  not  want  me 
here  in  the  White  House. 

Mary.  Nonsense ;  whom  does  it  want  then  ? 
Didn't  it  elect  you?  Come,  Abraham,  think  of  the 
majority  which  you  received. 

Abe.  That  is  just  what  I  am  thinking  about  as  I 
go  to  take  the  oath  of  office.  It  isn't  a  real  majority 
that  elected  me — it  was  only  the  split  in  the  demo- 
cratic ranks  that  put  me  in  this  office,  and  everyone 
knows  it. 

Mary.     It  is  rather  silly  to  think  of  your  election 


28  SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE       act  ii 

in  that  light,  Abraham.  You  carried  all  the  free 
states,  and  why  do  you  need  to  consider  the  demo- 
crats ? 

Abe.  I  must  consider  them.  I  did  not  carry  one 
slave  state,  nor  a  single  state  in  which  the  issue  was 
doubtful.  God  knows  that  the  pleas  I  addressed  to 
the  South  were  genuine :  I  love  the  South ;  I  think 
that  I  understand  the  South ;  I  believe  in  it  as  I  be- 
lieve in  every  part  of  my  country,  but  the  South  has 
shown  that  it  does  not  believe  in  me.  Not  a  single 
vote  from  a  southern  state — you  know  what  that  may 
mean,  Mary. 

Mary.  Oh,  it  doesn't  worry  me.  There  may  be 
a  little  skirmish  about  the  slaves,  but  it  won't  amount 
to  any  more  than  that  Black  Hawk  war  in  which  you 
were  a  captain  or  something  out  in  Illinois.  This 
isn't  a  country  where  white  folks  will  fight  against 
one  another  for  any  reason.  Why,  I  could  settle 
that  kind  of  a  war  myself  in  a  few  weeks  if  the 
South  ever  started  it.  The  South  hasn't  any  army 
nor  any  navy.  The  people  of  the  South  like  their 
ease  too  much  to  fight,  and  you're  going  to  let  them 
keep  their  slaves  for  the  present. 

Abe.  Mary,  I  hope  that  this  country  may  be 
saved.  If  the  Union  can  be  preserved  by  keeping  the 
slaves  in  their  present  condition,  I  will  not  change 
their  condition,  but  if  the  South  shall  fail  the  Union 
and  I  find  that  the  slaves  must  be  freed  to  save  the 
country,  I  will  free  them. 

Mary.  But  you  said  that  you  would  let  the  South 
keep  her  slaves. 

Abe.  On  the  condition  that  the  South  remain  loy- 
al, but  somehow  I  fear  that  the  South  may  attempt  to 
break  every  bond  of  union.  Oh !  Mary  !  This  is  a 
time  when  no  man  can  guide  this  country. 

Mary.     No  man  but  you,  Abraham. 

Abe.  Not  I.  You  realize  that  I  do  not  trust  in  my 
own  strength.     I  look  to  the  Father  of  us  all  for 


act  ii       SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE  29 

guidance  and  to  the  spirits  whom  he  sent  to  guide 
me. 

Mary.  I  thought  you'd  forget  about  the  spirits 
when  you  became  President. 

Abe.  When  I  forget  the  spirits  who  have  led  me 
and  are  leading  me,  I  will  be  living  in  another  world. 

Mary.  Well,  I  wouldn't  forget  the  friends  I  have 
right  around  me.  You  seem  to  have  forgotten  all 
about  them  today  as  well  as  the  thousands  who  are 
waiting  in  throngs  just  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  their 
new  President  and  catch  a  few  words  of  his  speech. 

Abe.  Thank  you,  Mary,  for  reminding  me.  We 
should,  indeed,  remember  how  many  states  showed 
confidence  in  us  by  their  solid  votes  and  that  they  are 
a  large  part  of  the  nation.  We  ought  to  be  truly 
grateful  for  what  our  own  Illinois  did  from  the  be- 
ginning to  the  end  of  the  campaign  and  to  many 
other  states.  I  guess,  after  all  is  said,  I'm  a  good 
deal  like  the  old  soldier  whose  friends  bought  him  a 
wooden  leg  and  gave  as  his  speech  of  gratitude, 
"Well,  I  don't  know  as  I'll  ever  use  it,  but  it's  cer- 
tainly pretty  wood  and  will  keep  me  in  toothpicks  as 
long  as  I  live." 

Mary.  Now  your  voice  sounds  natural,  Abraham. 
(Enter  DericksonJ     It's  not  that  young  man  again? 

Abe.    What  young  man  ? 

Derickson.  You  asked  me  to  announce  Secretary 
Seward,  Mrs.  Lincoln. 

Mary.  (Confused)  Yes,  of  course.  Are  you 
not  pleased  with  your  visitor? 

Abe.  Yes,  I  am  pleased,  but  you  spoke  of  a  young 
man.    Seward  is  an  older  man  than  I. 

Mary.  Why,  you  are  a  young  man,  Abraham,  and 
you  must  brighten  up  to  talk  to  him. 

Abe.  Do  you  know,  Mary,  that  only  two  days  ago 
Mr.  Seward  sent  me  a  note  telling  me  that  he  felt  he 
could  not  accept  the  honored  position  in  my  cabinet 
of  Secretary  of  State  ? 


30  SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE       act  ii 

Mary.  Well,  there  are  many  other  men  who 
would  be  glad  to  accept  this  position. 

Abe.  But  not  men  so  strong  and  capable  as  Sew- 
ard. He  gave  me  his  promise  some  months  ago,  and 
I  couldn't  let  Seward  refuse  or  be  released  and  thus 
lose  the  first  trick  in  this  matter. 

Derickson.     Shall  I  show  him  in,  Mr.  President? 

Abe.  Yes,  at  once,  please.  (Derickson  starts  to 
exit,  center.)  Has  Mr.  Seward  a  portfolio  with  him, 
Major  Derickson? 

Derickson.    I  believe  he  has,  sir. 

Abe.  Thank  you — and  you  might  ask  Hay  to  be 
in  readiness  in  case  I  may  need  him  for  dictation, 
and  please  be  ready  for  President  Buchanan  in  the 
next  room. 

Derickson.   Yes,  sir.    (Exit  Derickson,  center.) 

Mary.    I  will  go  and  dress  now,  Abraham. 

Abe.  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  your  inauguration 
gown  would  interest  many  a  good  deal  more  than 
my  inauguration  speech. 

Mary.  I  think  it  is  pretty — and  isn't  it  fortunate 
now  that  I  got  you  up  so  early  that  you  will  have  an 
hour  if  you  need  it  with  Mr.  Seward. 

(Enter  Seward  and  Hay,  center.) 

Abe.  Good  morning,  Mr.  Seward — Secretary 
Seward,  I  trust? 

Seward.  Thank  you,  President  Lincoln,  good 
morning.  And  good  morning  and  congratulations, 
Mrs.  Lincoln. 

Mary.  Good  morning,  Mr.  Seward ;  I  was  just 
going. 

Seward.    I  hope  I  am  not  interrupting 

Abe.  No,  indeed,  Mary  was  just  going  to  array 
herself  for  the  inauguration.  (To  Hay,)  I  will  not 
need  you  just  now,  Mr.  Hay.     (Exit  Hay,  center.) 

Seward.    I  beg  your  pardon,  Mrs.  Lincoln. 


act  ii       SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE  31 

Mary.  Mr.  Seward,  I  will  leave  you  with  my  hus- 
band, but  there  are  few  men  with  whom  I  would 
leave  him  this  morning.  (Exit  Mary,  right,  proud- 
ly.) 

Abe.  I  hope  your  journey  to  Washington  was  a 
pleasant  one,  Seward.  (They  sit  down  at  center  ta- 
ble.) 

Seward.    It  was,  Mr.  President. 

Abe.  And  you  have  found  the  city  attractive  in 
its  holiday  aspect  ? 

Seward.     In  its  armed  aspect,  Mr.  President. 

Abe.  I  sincerely  regret  the  armed  aspect  of  the 
city.  Nothing  could  be  more  ill-advised  than  the 
way  in  which  I  understand  the  troops  are  to  be  thrust 
forward  everywhere  upon  public  attention.  The 
sight  must  have  made  you  glad  that  you  were  not  in 
my  place. 

Seward.  The  country  wanted  you,  Lincoln,  and 
it  wants  to  protect  you. 

Abe.  I  appreciate  the  good  wishes  in  this,  but 
that  is  not  what  protects  a  man.  You  may  recall  the 
words,  "He  shall  give  his  spirits  charge  over  thee  to 
keep  thee  in  all  thy  ways,  lest  at  any  time  thou  dash 
thy  foot  against  a  stone"  ? 

Seward.  The  word  is  "angels,"  not  spirits,  I  be- 
lieve, Mr.  Lincoln. 

Abe.  And  what  are  angels,  Seward?  I  would 
take  it  as  a  joke  if  the  subject  were  not  too  sacred  to 
me. 

Seward.  Pardon  me,  Mr.  Lincoln ;  I  forgot  about 
your  belief  in  these  matters,  and,  of  course,  it  is  your 
right  to  believe  in  this  way  if  you  wish. 

Abe.  Thank  you,  Seward ;  and  I  will  confess  to 
you  that  it  means  more  to  me  to  know  that  one  wo- 
man's spirit  will  be  with  me  today  as  I  walk  to  take 
the  oath  of  office  as  President  of  these  United  States 
than  that  there  are  thousands  of  soldiers  who  much 
against  my  wish  will  guard  my  every  step  to  the  Cap- 


32  SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE       act  ii 

itol.     fJave  you  the  speech   with  you,    Seward?     I 

will  be  glad  even  now  to  have  your  opinion  of  it. 

Seward.  (Taking  tip  his  portfolio  and  taking  out 
the  speech)  Yes;  I  brought  the  copy  you  sent  me, 
and  I  have  a  few  suggestions  for  you  to  consider,  as 
I  think  they  may  affect  grave  matters  of  state.  I 
thought  to  get  here  yesterday  afternoon  at  the  latest, 
but  I  was  prevented  from  doing  so. 

Abe.  Let  me  see  them,  Seward.  (Lincoln  takes 
out  a  manuscript  from  his  inner  coat  pocket.) 

Seward.  In  the  first  place,  I  think  the  first  two 
paragraphs  might  well  be  omitted,  Mr.  Lincoln. 

Abe.  The  question  opened  there  is  the  platform 
of  the  Republican  Party  and  my  loyalty  to  it. 

Seward.  You  have  the  strongest  proof  that  none 
doubts  you  in  this  matter,  Mr.  Lincoln  ;  you  had  the 
solid  Republican  vote  as  no  other  man  could  have 
gotten  it.  In  the  third  paragraph,  if  you  will  par- 
don the  suggestion,  it  is  my  honest  conviction  that 
you  give  such  advantages  to  the  Disunionists  that 
Virginia  and  Maryland  will  secede,  and  we  shall, 
within  sixty  days,  ninety  at  the  most,  be  obliged  to 
fight  the  South  for  this  capital  with  a  divided  North 
for  our  reliance. 

Abe.  I  understand  your  point,  Seward.  I  will 
cancel  it,  for,  at  this  hour,  there  is  no  other  solution. 
But  let  me  read  the  next  paragraph  to  you  in  order 
that  you  may  note  just  what  I  mean  :  "Apprehension 
seems  to  exist  among  the  people  of  the  Southern 
States  that  by  the  accession  of  a  Republican  admini- 
stration their  property  and  their  peace  and  personal 
security  are  to  be  endangered.  There  has  never  been 
any  reasonable  cause  for  apprehension.  I  but  quote 
one  of  my  published  speeches  when  I  declare  that. 
'I  have  no  purpose,  directly  or  indirectly,  to  inter- 
fere with  the  institution  of  slavery  in  states  where  it 
exists.  I  believe  that  I  have  no  lawful  right  to  do  so, 
and  I  have  no  inclination  to  do  so.    Those  who  nom- 


act  ii       SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE  33 

inated  and  elected  me  did  so  with  full  knowledge  that 
I  had  made  this  and  many  similar  declarations,  and 
have  never  recanted  them.'  " 

Seward.  I  see  nothing  that  should  be  changed  in 
that. 

Abe.  I  could  not  alter  it  at  this  time,  Seward,  nor 
could  I  alter  my  position  on  the  other  important 
question,  "Has  a  state  the  right  to  go  out  of  the 
Union  if  it  wants  to?"  You  have  carefully  con- 
sidered what  follows  on  this  question,  and  I  believe 
that  you  agree  with  me  on  the  whole  matter  of  seces- 
sion. 

Seward.  I  do,  Mr.  Lincoln,  but  just  after  that 
discussion,  I  have  struck  out  the  phrase  "  to  reclaim 
the  public  property  and  places  which  have  fallen." 
It  seems  to  me  the  whole  paragraph  might  well  be 
made  more  non-committal  if  possible. 

Abe.  I  will  alter  the  phrase,  but  I  am  not  afraid 
to  stand  squarely  for  all  I  have  written.  I  want  the 
country  to  know  just  where  I  stand. 

Seward.  Then  you  must  be  prepared  for  civil 
war,  Lincoln. 

Abe.  No,  Seward ;  but  if  war  must  come  to  save 
this  country,  God  will  not  fail  us. 

Seward.  We  will  hope  for  sane  leadership  in  the 
South.  You  might  glance  over  a  few  sentences 
which  I  have  written  after  your  conclusion.  I  hope 
you  will  not  object  to  my  criticism  that  your  address 
closes  rather  abruptly  and  so  you  might  consider 
what  I  have  here  as  an  addition. 

Abe.  (Taking  the  paper  which  Seward  hands 
him.  Glances  over  it,  then  reads)  "I  am  loath  to 
close.  We  are  not  enemies,  but  friends.  We  must 
not  be  enemies.  Though  passion  may  have  strained, 
it  must  not  break  the  bonds  of  affection.  The  mystic 
chords  of  memory,  stretching  from  every  battlefield 
and  patriot  grave  to  every  living  heart  and  hearth- 
stone all   over  this   broad  land,   will  yet  swell   the 


34  SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE       actii 

chorus  of  the  Union  when  again  touched,  as  surely 
they  will  be,  by  the  better  angels  of  our  nature." 
Yes,  I  will  gladly  add  these  sentences,  Seward. 

Seward.  You  made  a  few  changes  as  you  read 
them,  but  if  you  choose  to  include  these  thoughts,  the 
words  do  not  matter. 

Abe.  Thank  you,  Seward.  (As  they  both  rise) 
I  need  you,  and  the  country  needs  you  :  that  is  why  I 
insisted  on  your  accepting  the  position  of  Secretary 
of  State  in  the  cabinet. 

Seward.  The  times  are,  indeed,  critical,  Lincoln. 
We  know  not  what  a  day  will  bring  forth.  We  will 
hope  for  the  best  as  we  try  to  serve  our  country. 

Abe.  Yes,  we  will  have  faith  in  our  country,  for 
a  country  is  the  faith  of  its  people. 

(Enter  Derickson,  center.) 

Seward.    I  will  go,  Lincoln. 

Abe.  If  you  will  wait  in  the  next  room  with  Hay, 
we  will  start  for  the  inaugural  ceremonies  shortly. 
(To  DericksonJ  Is  President  Buchanan  here? 
(Exit  Seward,  center.) 

Derickson.  President  Buchanan  is  here,  sir,  and 
desires  the  honor  of  accompanying  you  to  the  Capi- 
tol.    (Turns  to  go.) 

Abe.  Just  a  moment.  Do  you  know  how  I  feel 
today? 

Derickson.    No,  Mr.  President. 

Abe.  Well,  this  is  one  of  the  ways :  there  was 
once  a  little  girl,  Major  Derickson — I  think  I  pro- 
nounce the  name  correctly  ? 

Derickson.  Yes,  sir.  Shall  I  tell  President  Bu- 
chanan that  he  may  come  in  ? 

Abe.  Just  a  minute,  Major,  for  I  always  have  to 
finish  a  story — I  hope  you  like  stories,  for  I  tell  so 
many  of  them.    It's  a  weakness  of  mine. 

Derickson.     Oh,  I  do  like  stories,  sir,  but  I  did 


act  ii       SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE  35 

not  wish  to  presume.  There's  nothing  we  army  men 
prize  more  than  a  good  story. 

Abe.  I'm  glad  of  that.  Derickson,  for  we  will  be- 
gin to  understand  one  another.  (His  eyes  begin  to 
twinkle  with  merriment  as  he  tells  the  story.)  I  used 
to  know  a  little  girl  out  West,  Derickson.  who  some- 
times was  inclined  to  eat  too  much.  One  day  she  ate 
a  good  many  more  raisins  than  she  ought  to,  and  fol- 
lowed them  with  a  quantity  of  other  goodies.  It 
made  her  very  sick.  After  a  time  the  raisins  began 
to  come.  She  gasped  and  looked  at  her  mother  and 
said,  "Well,  I  will  be  better  now.  I  guess,  for  I  have 
got  down  to  the  raisins.''  So  I  think  that  today  I  am 
getting  down  to  the  raisins  and  things  will  be  better 
after  the  inauguration.  And  just  one  more  thing — 
Derickson.  you  and  I  are  going  to  be  very  often  to- 
gether and  we  are  going  to  be  good  friends,  so  I  want 
you  to  know  this  also :  I  am  a  man  who  has  to  be 
alone  at  times,  alone  and  yet  not  alone. 

Derickson.  I  have  heard  of  some  great  man — 
the  name  escapes  me — and  he  would  never  enter  into 
any  important  conference  without  praying,  sir. 

Abe.  You  will  find  that  I  humbly  follow  in  the 
footsteps  of  that  great  man.  Major  Derickson.  Now 
will  you  tell  President  Buchanan  that  I  will  be  ready 
in  five  minutes  and  return  with  him  ? 

Derickson.  I  understand,  sir.  (Exit  Derick- 
son, center.) 

Abe.  (Takes  a  small  copy  of  the  Psalms  from  an 
inner  coat  pocket  and  begins  to  read  to  himself. 
After  reading  a  few  moments,  his  face  becomes  radi- 
ant and  lie  reads  aloud)  "Though  I  walk  through 
the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death.  I  will  fear  no 
evil."  (Closes  the  book  with  a  look  of  infinite  satis- 
faction and  slowly  says  as  if  speaking  to  a  human 
friend)  Ann.  I  will  fear  no  evil.  Ann.  you  could 
never  die.  for  you  feared  no  evil.  (Puts  the  book 
back  in  the  pocket  from  which  lie  first  took  it,  then 


36  SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE       act  n 

goes  to  the  center  door  and  opens  it.     Calls)     Derick- 
son! 

(Enter    Derickson,    followed    by    Pkksident    Bu- 
chananJ 

Derickson.  President  Buchanan,  sir.  (lixit 
DericksonJ 

Are.  (Advancing  and  grasping  his  hand)  1  'resi- 
dent Buchanan. 

Buchanan.  President  Lincoln,  I  have  come  to 
escort  you  to  the  Capitol. 

Abe.  Thank  you,  sir.  Will  you  not  sit  down  and 
rest  a  few  moments  ? 

Buchanan.  Not  if  you  are  ready  to  go  to  the 
Capitol,  President  Lincoln.  The  Capitol  is  well- 
guarded  and  the  people  of  the  nation  are  awaiting 
you  as  their  President  for  the  coming  four  years.  I 
am  sure  that  everything  is  safe. 

Abe.  Thank  you,  sir.  I  wish  such  a  guard  were 
not  necessary  on  this  day. 

Buchanan.  Yes,  I  know.  It  is  a  heavy  load  you 
are  taking  upon  you.  If  I  could,  I  would  have  made 
it  lighter.  I  trust  that  God  will  bless  and  direct  your 
work. 

Abe.  Thank  you,  sir.  I  trust  he  will.  Excuse  me 
a  moment.     (Goes  to  door  at  right  and  calls)     Mary  ! 

(Mary  Lincoln  sweeps  grandly  past  'Abraham  in 
her  inauguration  gown.) 

Mary.  (To  AbeJ  Not  Mary  in  public  any  more, 
please. 

Abe.  Yes,  Mrs.  Lincoln.  Meet  President  Bu- 
chanan, who  is  to  take  us  to  the  Capitol. 

Mary.  (Bowing  to  BuchananJ  That  is  very 
gracious,  President  Buchanan. 

Buchanan.     It  is  an  honor,  madam,  and  I  take 


act  ii       SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE  37 

this  opportunity  to  wish  you  and  your  husband  God- 
speed in  the  four  critical  years  which  you  are  so 
bravely  -facing. 

Mary.    Thank  you,  President  Buchanan. 

Abe.  Yes,  thank  you,  indeed.  I  believe  we  are  all 
ready  now.  Seward  is  waiting  for  us  in  the  next 
room  with  the  rest  of  the  party. 

Mary.  Is  the  top  button  of  your  vest  buttoned, 
Mr.  Lincoln? 

Abe.  Thank  you  for  reminding  me,  Mrs.  Lincoln. 
(Lincoln  opens  the  center  door.  Mrs.  Lincoln 
accepts  President  Buchanan's  arm  and  they  walk 
out  together,  followed  by  Lincoln,  smiling.) 

CURTAIN 


ACT  III 

Time:    The  day  of  the  Gettysburg  Oration,  1863. 

Place:  A  Pennsylvania  meadow.  The  train  on 
which  President  Lincoln  is  traveling  from 
Washington  to  Gettysburg  has  stopped  for  an 
hour  or  two  on  a  siding. 

It  is  about  half  an  hour  before  dawn. 

As  William  Rutledge  and  Roger  Whit- 
ney, brakeman  and  engineer  on  the  train  of  the 
President,  enter  they  are  hardly  visible  except 
as  their  lanterns  send  an  occasional  ray  into  one 
another's  faces. 

Rutledge.    How  long  do  we  stop  here,  Whitney? 

Whitney.  Till  an  hour  or  so  after  daybreak,  I 
guess,  Rutledge.  Major  Derickson  has  charge  of 
that. 

Rutledge.  Hope  the  President  can  get  some  rest 
sitting  up.  He  looks  as  if  he  was  carrying  the  bur- 
den of  the  slavery  from  the  backs  of  the  blacks  he 
has  freed. 

Whitney.  Of  course  you  don't  remember  the 
President  the  way  I  do,  for  you  wasn't  with  me  on 
the  train  when  we  started  for  Washington  from  his 
home  in  Illinois,  Springfield,  Illinois.  (He  dwells 
fondly  on  the  name  of  the  city.) 

Rutledge.  No  ;  I  wish  I  had  been.  I  never  saw 
the  President  before  today,  although  I  came  near  see- 
ing him  in  the  White  House  once. 

Whitney.  Oh,  I  know  you  fellows ;  you  only 
wish  you  could  have  been  with  me  the  day  that  he 
left  Springfield  on  my  train.     I  remember  it  just  as 

38 


act  in     SPIRIT  OF  AXX  RUTLEDGE  39 

well  as  if  it  was  yesterday  how  he  began  his  speech 
right  on  the  back  platform  of  the  train,  "My 
friends,"  and  I  bet  there  warn't  a  man  or  woman  or 
child  in  that  big  crowd  of  hometown  folks  at  the  sta- 
tions that  didn't  think  he  meant  just  them  and  wanted 
to  shake  their  hands — none  who  wasn't  right  there 
can  appreciate  the  feeling  of  sadness  of  that  parting ; 
of  course,  not  that  we  warn't  glad  in  ways  that  he 
was  going  to  Washington  to  be  President,  but  we  be- 
gan to  cry,  'cause  we  didn't  like  to  see  him  leave 
home  even  to  be  President  of  the  United  Stated,  and 
we  didn't  have  no  idea  of  the  war  that  was  coming 
neither. 

Rutledge.     I  think  he  did. 

Whitney.  Well,  perhaps.  He  seemed  to  belong 
to  us  then  and  to  be  going  to  those  who  couldn't  ever 
know  him  and  love  him  as  we  did  any  more  than  you 
can  love  your  wife  like  your  mother.  He  said  he 
owed  everything  to  Springfield,  Illinois,  and  to  its 
kind  people,  that  he  had  lived  with  us  twenty-five 
years,  had  been  young  and  grown  old  among  us,  mar- 
ried children,  and  lost  one. 

Rutledge.  And  he's  lost  another  since  he  went 
to  Washington.  I  don't  understand  why  the  Al- 
mighty takes  children  from  those  who  want  them  like 
he  does  and  leaves  the  brats  that  clutter  the  country 
and  don't  have  any  home,  but  I  guess  I  ain't  the  one 
to  judge. 

Whitney.  No  ;  you  ain't  a  man  of  faith,  Rut- 
ledge. If  you  went  to  church  regular,  you  might  un- 
derstand such  things  better. 

Rutledge.  Whitney.  I've  talked  about  these 
things  to  many  people  in  many  churches  and  they 
don't  seem  to  know  why  it  is  any  more  than  I  do.  I 
don't  think  that  President  Lincoln  is  so  strong  on 
this  church  business,  but  he  is  in  living  out  what  they 
preach  in  church. 

Whitney.    I  won't  say  you  ain't  right.    The  way 


4o  SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE      actiii 

he  spoke  that  day  in  Springfield  would  have  made 
me  know  he  was  a  religious  man  whether  I  knew  any- 
thing else  about  him  or  not.  lie  said  that  he  knew 
he  had  a  heavier  task  than  Washington,  and  he  said 
he  could  not  succeed  without  the  God  that  guided 
Washington.  And  the  papers  have  said  that  Lincoln 
doesn't  believe  in  God,  and  I  have  heard  preachers 
say  that  he  was  no  Christian. 

Rutledge.  I  know  they're  lying  and  God  knows 
they're  lying. 

Whitney.  I  shouldn't  have  said  a  thing  like  that 
to  you,  Rutledge,  because  you  ain't  a  man  of  faith, 
and  they're  plenty  of  preachers  whom  I  have  heard 
pray  for  him  as  the  servant/  of  God,  and  he  said  he 
trusted  in  God  right  in  that  speech.  (A  few  mo- 
ments of  silence.) 

Rutledge.    Good  Lord ! 

Whitney.     W7hat  ails  you  ?    Got  a  chill  ? 

Rutledge.  No  ;  nothing  you  would  understand, 
Whitney.  I  believe  that  the  spirits  of  the  departed 
return. 

Whitney.  If  I  didn't  know  you  to  bea  good 
honest  young  man,  I'd  say  there  was  something  the 
matter  with  your  sense  of  honesty. 

Rutledge.  Have  I  ever  lied  to  you  ?  Now  you've 
known  me  for  quite  some  time. 

Whitney.  No  ;  but  I've  seen  you  mooning  once 
in  a  while.  I  suppose  you  actually  think  it's  so  just 
like  children  think  they  see  angels  and  fairies. 

Rutledge.  Perhaps  they  do,  or  creatures  like 
them. 

Whitney.  You  ain't  a  child ;  you're  a  man,  Rut- 
ledge. You  ought  to  know  what  Paul  says,  "When 
I  became  a  man  I  put  away  childish  things." 

Rutledge.    You  know  your  Bible,  Whitney. 

Whitney.    I  do  from  cover  to  cover. 

Rutledge.    Then  you  know  that  Jesus  said,  "Ex- 


act  in     SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE  41 

cept  ye  shall  become  as  little  children,  ye  shall  in  no 
wise  enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven." 

Whitney.  What  has  that  got  to  do  with  the  spir- 
its of  the  dead  returning  here?  What  you  saw  was 
the  mist  of  the  morning  taking  queer  shapes.  It's 
easy  to  think  you  see  strange  things  just  about  this 
hour.  Sometimes  I've  caught  myself  in  that  way, 
especially  when  I  was  kind  of  cold,  but  I  knew  there 
was  nothing  to  it.  It's  like  feeling  someone  behind 
you  in  the  dark  when  there  ain't  none  there. 

Rutledge.  I  saw  the  spirit  of  a  woman,  a  rather 
frail  woman,  as  sure  as  I'm  alive  and  speaking  to 
you. 

Whitney.    You  really  believe  it,  then? 

Rutledge.  Yes,  and  that  woman  was  Ann  Rut- 
ledge,  my  "father's  sister.  She  died  before  I  was 
born. 

Whitney.  Ann  Rutledge!  Then  you  never  saw 
her  in  your  life? 

Rutledge.  Only  her  spirit,  Whitney,  but  I  never 
saw  it  so  clearly  as  I  did  this  morning.  I  know  that 
Ann  Rutledge  is  here. 

Whitney.    Ann  Rutledge!    Why,  she 

Rutledge.  Yes,  she  was  to  marry  Abraham  Lin- 
coln. I've  heard  my  father  tell  the  story  very  often. 
She  was  the  first  woman  whom  Abraham  Lincoln 
loved,  and  when  she  passed  away  Lincoln  almost  lost 
his  mind.  I  saw  her  so  clearly  because  he  is  now  on 
our  train.  She  said  that  she  would  never  leave  him 
forever  and  she  never  has. 

(Enter  Derickson,  left.) 

Derickson.    All  quiet  along  the  Potomac  ? 

Whitney.  Yes,  sir.  There's  no  change  in  the 
hour  for  our  starting  the  train  again,  is  there,  Ma- 
jor? 


42  SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE     act  in 

Derickson.  None  so  far.  Don't  suppose  there 
will  be. 

Rutledge.  Perhaps,  we'd  better  he  going  hack  to 
the  engine. 

Derickson.  No ;  not  for  an  hour  yet,  unless 
something  new  comes  across  the  wire.  We  aren't  out 
of  danger  yet,  but  I  only  wish  that  this  Gettysburg 
celebration  was  out  of  the  way,  and  the  President 
back  in  Washington.  We  can  guard  him  there  with- 
out his  knowing  too  much  about  it,  but  on  a  trip  like 
this  we  have  to  pick  every  man  of  the  guard  of  sol- 
diers and  ever  man  of  the  railroad  personel  with  the 
greatest  care  and  watch  them  as  well  as  him. 

Whitney.  Well,  I  was  glad  to  come  all  the  way 
on  from  Illinois  to  make  this  run.  I  didn't  think  I'd 
ever  have  the  honor  of  taking  the  President  on  a  trip 
again.  You  see,  I  was  with  him  on  his  first  trip  when 
he  was  going  to  Washington  to  be  President. 

Derickson.  I  hope  this  won't  be  your  last  trip 
with  him,  Mr.  Whitney. 

Whitney.  I  suppose  we  were  quite  safe  when 
we  changed  our  route. 

Derickson.  We  thought  we  would  be,  but,  by 
stopping  on  this  siding  until  after  daybreak,  we  feel 
sure  that  we  have  thrown  them  off  any  calculations 
they  might  have  made,  for  the  rebs  would  plan 
something  against  the  President  which  they  could  ex- 
ecute in  the  darkness  and  couldn't  carry  out  in  the 
broad  daylight. 

Rutledge.  I  can't  see  why  a  good  man  has  so 
many  enemies. 

Whitney.  Oh,  there  are  a  lot  of  little  office  seek- 
ers; Fve  heard  them  talk  when  they  got  on  the 
trains.  You'd  think  that  what  they  wanted  was 
what  the  war  was  about  to  hear  them  talk.  Of 
course,  we  know  the  Jeff-Davishers,  but  the  Secret 
Service  are  hot  on  their  trail.  (Sound  of  footsteps 
approaching  left.) 


act  in     SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE  43 

Derickson.    Halt !    Who  goes  there  ? 
(Enter  Joe  Mendill,  left.) 

Mendill.  I  have  an  appointment  with  the  Presi- 
dent as  soon  as  he  is  up  and  about  this  morning. 
My  name  is  Joe  Mendill,  Chicago  Tribune,  if  that 
means  anything  to  you,  sir. 

Derickson.    It  does.    May  I  see  your  pass,  sir? 

Mendill.  I  think  this  will  serve.  (Hands  a  let- 
ter to  DericksonJ 

Derickson.  Yes;  the  President's  special  order, 
good  this  morning.  I  suppose  some  of  you  fellows 
would  be  along  with  a  letter  of  appointment  if  he 
were  being  carried  to  the  cemetery  in  a  hearse. 

Mendill.  I  have  known  President  Lincoln  for 
many  years ;  that  is  why  I  am  on  this  train. 

Derickson.  Yes,  sir;  your  name  is  on  my  list, 
and  there  are  others,  too.  He  doesn't  turn  anyone 
down  because  he  has  no  time  for  them.  Some  of 
those  he  couldn't  see  in  Washington  before  the  train 
left  at  midnight,  he  told  to  come  on  the  train  and  he 
would  see  them  today. 

Mendill.  I  believe  I  have  a  matter  of  first  im- 
portance for  him  to  consider. 

(Enter  Lincoln,  left.) 

Abe.  Good  morning,  gentlemen.  I  thought  I'd 
be  the  early  bird. 

Derickson.  I  think  the  early  birds  may  be  wait- 
ing to  be  fed,  Mr.  President.  (Exit  Derickson, 
right.) 

Rutledge  and  Whitney.  Good  morning,  Presi- 
dent Lincoln. 

Mendill.    Good  morning,  Mr.  President. 

Abe.  Mr.  Mendill,  I  wish  you  would  tell  Major 
Derickson  that  I  will  see  the  editor  of  the  Chicago 


44  SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE      act  hi 

Tribune  in  about  fifteen  minutes.  (Exit  Mendill, 
right.  Rutledge  and  Whitney  start  to  leave  Pres- 
ident Lincoln,  left.)  I  want  to  shake  hands  with 
you  men  and  thank  you  both.  (To  WhitnevJ  I 
remember  you. 

Whitney.  I  was  conductor  on  the  train  that  took 
you  out  of  Springfield  when  you  left  for  the  inaugu- 
ration.    I  am  an  engineer  now. 

Abe.  Yes;  I  don't  forget  my  old  friends,  especial- 
ly when  they  ask  nothing  of  me. 

Whitney.  I  guess  you  find  too  many  of  those 
fellows  who  want  a  job. 

Abe.  Yes,  too  many,  Mr.  Whitney,  take  the  time 
that  belongs  to  the  country.  Have  you  sons  in  the 
war? 

Whitney.  I  had  two  sons  in  the  war.  Now  I 
have  one. 

Abe.  I  have  lost  a  son  since  the  war  began,  a  little 
fellow — you  remember  Will  on  that  trip  out  of 
Springfield  ? 

Whitney.  Yes,  sir;  I  was  sorry  when  I  heard. 
It  seemed  like  one  of  my  own. 

Abe.  Thank  you,  Whitney.  I  don't  forget  the 
sons  whose  lives  the  Union  is  claiming.  My  son 
Robert  is  in  the  army.  I  would  give  everything  I 
possess  to  bring  a  lasting  peace  to  this  country. 
(After  Lincoln  has  taken  Whitney's  hand  and 
shaken  it,  Whitney  exits  left  and  Rutledge  starts 
to  fallow  W'hitney.  Lincoln  stops  Rutledge.J 
Young  man,  I  want  to  shake  your  hand. 

Rutledge.  Thank  you,  Mr.  President ;  I  did  not 
want  to  disturb 

Abe.  Nonsense ;  is  that  the  opinion  people  have 
of  me? 

Rutledge.  Oh,  no,  sir — Mr.  President.  I  guess 
it  was  that  I  was  afraid  of  speaking  to  you  about 
something. 

Abe.    I  see  that  you  are  young  and  not  in  uniform, 


act  in     SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE  45 

but  you  are  doing  a  useful  work  for  the  govern- 
ment. 

Rutledge.  Yes,  sir ;  I  tried  to  get  into  the  army ; 
I  wanted  to  serve  under  the  colors  the  worst  way, 
but  they  said  my  heart  was  too  weak. 

Abe.  I  must  see  if  I  cannot  get  you  something  in 
Washington  if  that  is  the  case. 

Rutledge.  But  I  was  not  thinking  about  the  army 
nor  about  another  job,  sir.  It  was  something  else. 
I  tried  to  see  you  the  day  of  your  inauguration,  and 
I  have  tried  since. 

Abe.  A  young  man — inauguration  day — Seward. 
(To  Rutledge  J     What  is  your  name,  young  man? 

Rutledge.    Rutledge,  sir ;  William  Rutledge. 

Abe.     Son  of  Joseph  Rutledge  of  Salem,  Illinois? 

Rutledge.    Yes,  sir. 

Abe.  (Then  Rutledge  stops  and  chokes)  Sit 
down,  please,  William.  (They  sit  on  a  log  near  cen- 
ter stage.) 

Rutledge.  Yes,  Ann  Rutledge  was  my  father's 
sister. 

Abe.  Ann  Rutledge !  God  knows  how  I  loved 
her.  If  it  had  been  lighter,  I  would  have  known  you. 
I  have  not  seen  your  father  since  I  left  Salem,  and 
you  were  not  born  then. 

Rutledge.    No,  Mr.  President. 

Abe.  Then  you  never  saw  Ann  Rutledge — un- 
less  

Rutledge.    I  have  seen  her.     That  was  it. 

Abe.    Thank  God. 

Rutledge.  She  appeared  to  me  before  you  came, 
sir.    I  heard  her  say  that  she  is  often  with  you. 

Abe.  You  have  spoken  the  truth.  The  dead,  in- 
deed, are  the  living.  It  is  the  spirits  of  the  blessed 
dead  that  lead  us  on  and  on.  We  are  in  this  world 
for  barely  the  fraction  of  time  it  takes  a  ray  of  light 
to  travel  from  one  of  the  stars  nearest  to  us ;  it  is 
only  the  divine  breath  that  makes  us  living  spirits, 


46  SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGK      actiii 

a  breath  as  calm  and  as  silent  as  the  souls  that  return 
and  speak  to  US  of  time  and  of  eternity.  Little  I 
know,  hut  Ann  has  come  to  me  and  she  has  taught 
me.  If  it  were  not  for  the  spirit-urge  from  beyond, 
the  spirit  of  my  mother,  the  spirit  of  Ann  Rutledge, 
I  would  not  now  he  leading  my  people — I  would  still 
be  a  poor  store-keeper  in  a  country  town  spending 
every  leisure  moment  beside  a  little  grave.  I  was 
mad ;  I  did  not  want  to  live  for  weeks,  following  the 
death  of  Ann,  till  I  heard  her  voice  and  saw  her  face 
to  face,  and  she  has  directed  me  on  and  on,  and  she 
will  direct  me  till  death  shall  call  me.  It  is  not  far 
off  now.  I  feel  it  coming  nearer  every  day,  but  there 
is  nothing  to  fear. 

Rutledge.  Does  she  always  appear  as  a  young 
girl  to  you,  sir? 

Abe.  Yes ;  always  young ;  and  this  has  taught  me 
that  the  dead,  indeed,  are  the  living,  for  they  do  not 
grow  old  as  we  do ;  they  do  not  grow  ugly ;  they  do 
not  become  angry.  They  are  always  sweet  as  the 
early  morning,  and  kind,  and  patient.  She  was  here 
and  you  saw  her? 

Rutledge,  Yes,  sir ;  I  saw  her.  Now  I  will  go 
back  to  my  work.  The  spirits  of  the  departed  do  not 
keep  us  from  our  work.  They  rather  lead  us  to  our 
work  and  help  us  to  do  it  better. 

Abe.  Yes,  they  help  us  to  do  our  work  better. 
Come  to  the  White  House  when  we  return  to  Wash- 
ington. The  name  Rutledge  will  always  secure  your 
admission.    I  will  speak  to  Derickson  about  it. 

Rutledge.  Thank  you,  sir.  I'll  go  now,  for  I  see 
the  gentleman  is  returning  who  wished  to  speak  to 
you. 

Abe.  (Taking  his  hand)  Rutledge.  (Rutledge 
exits,  left.) 

(Mendill  has  entered,  right,  in  the  meantime.) 


act  in     SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE  47 

Mendill.  I  am  sorry  Stanton  sent  me  to  you, 
sir. 

Abe.  I  know  that  Stanton  sent  you,  and  I  am 
ready  for  your  case. 

Mendill.  It  may  take  quite  a  little  time  to  state 
it,  Mr.  President ;  it  isn't  exactly  a  simple  one.  Per- 
haps we  had  better  sit  on  that  log  over  there  ? 

Abe.  I  am  satisfied  to  stand  if  you  are,  Mr.  Men- 
dill. 

Mendill.  Today  must  seem  to  you  almost  like 
the  ratification  of  the  treaty  of  peace. 

Abe.  I  wish  with  all  my. soul  it  were,  but  it  can- 
not be  as  yet. 

Mendill.  The  crisis  of  the  war  surely  passed 
with  the  battle  we  are  going  to  celebrate  today. 

Abe.  We  are  going  to  dedicate  a  cemetery,  not 
celebrate  a  battle,  and  my  heart  is  with  the  relatives 
of  those  who  gave  their  lives  at  Gettysburg. 

Mendill.  Then  you  don't  think  the  crisis  of  the 
war  is  past  ? 

Abe.  I  can  only  hope  it  is.  I  thought  the  war 
would  be  over  three  months  after  hostilities  were 
opened  at  Sumpter;  then  I  thought  the  Peninsula 
Campaign  would  end  it ;  and  now  after  nearly  three 
years  I  hope  that  peace  will  not  be  delayed  much 
longer.  Grant  has  carried  us  success fuly  forward. 
I  believe  in  him  and  have  great  faith  in  what  he  will 
do. 

Mendill.    If  he  remains  sober. 

Abe.  I  believe  that  man  is  as  sober  as  I  in  the 
face  of  the  gravest  responsibilities.  If  he  still  drinks 
whiskey,  you  find  the  name  of  the  brand,  and  I'll 
send  it  to  my  other  generals. 

Mendill.  He's  a  good  general,  and  the  country 
is  trusting  him  to  keep  on  till  the  rebels  cry  for 
mercy.  I  believe  he  is  going  straight  to  Richmond 
and  that  is  why  I  am  sent  here  now  as  the  represen- 
tative of  Cook  County. 


48  SPIRIT  OP  ANN  RUTLEDGE     actiii 

Abe.  And  what  is  the  specific  question,  Mendill? 
Have  you  conic  with  congratulations  for  Grant  from 
Cook  County  or  with  a  request   from  Cook  County? 

Menoill.     Sir,  the  call  has  come  to  Chicago  for 

extra  troops.  You  know  she  has  already  sent  twen- 
ty-two thousand  men  and  there  arc  no  more  young 
men  to  go — no  aliens  except  what  have  been  bought. 
The  citizens  held  a  mass  meeting,  and  appointed  a 
committee  of  three  persons,  of  whom  I  am  one,  to  go 
to  Washington  and  ask  Stanton  to  give  Cook  County 
a  new  enrollment.  I  begged  off;  but  the  committee 
insisted,  so  I  came.  We  went  to  Stanton  with  our 
statement.  He  refused  to  give  us  the  desired  aid, 
but  said  that  I  might  speak  with  you  about  it. 

Abe.    And  you  have  spoken  to  me  about  it. 

Mendill.  Yes,  Mr.  Lincoln,  and  I  cannot  place 
the  case  any  stronger;  Chicago,  a  city  of  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty-six  thousand  has  sent  twenty-two 
thousand  to  the  front,  and  now  we  ask  if  our  new 
quota  cannot  be  cut  down. 

Abe.  Mr.  Mendill,  after  Boston,  Chicago  has  been 
the  chief  instrument  in  bringing  war  on  the  coun- 
try. The  Northwest  has  opposed  the  South  as  New 
England  has  opposed  the  South.  It  is  you  who  are 
largely  responsible  for  making  blood  flow  as  it  has. 
You  called  for  the  war  till  we  had  it.  You  called  for 
Emancipation,  and  I  have  given  it  to  you.  Whatever 
you  have  asked,  you  have  had.  Now  you  come  here 
begging  to  be  let  off  from  the  call  for  men  which  I 
have  made  to  carry  out  the  war  you  have  demanded. 
You  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourself.  I  had  a  right 
to  expect  better  things  of  you.  My  answer  is  this, 
"Go  home,  and  raise  your  six  thousand  extra  men. 
And  you,  Mendill,  you  are  acting  like  a  coward.  You 
and  your  'Tribune'  have  had  more  influence  than  any 
paper  in  the  Northwest  in  making  this  war.  You  can 
influence  great  masses,  and  yet  you  cry  to  be  spared 


act  in     SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE  49 

at  a  moment  when  your  cause  is  suffering.  Go  home 
and  send  us  those  men." 

Mendill.  Thank  you,  Mr.  Lincoln.  Yes,  I  ought 
to  be  ashamed  of  myself ;  we  ought  to  be  ashamed  of 
ourselves.  I'll  go  home  and  help  raise  the  men  my- 
self, but  this  business  of  war  is  hard  on  the  families, 
hard  on  the  mothers. 

Abe.    Yes. 

Mendill.    Good-bye,  Mr.  Lincoln. 

Abe.  Good-bye,  Mendill,  and  God  bless  you.  (Ex- 
it Mendill,  left.  Lincoln  stands  a  few  moments 
with  bozved  head.  Then  the  voices  of  a  group  of 
young  soldiers  are  heard  singing) 

Mine  eyes  have  seen  the  glory  of  the  coming  of  the 

Lord; 
He  is  trampling  out  the  vintage  where  the  grapes 

of  wrath  are  stored ; 
He  hath  loosed  the  fearful  lightning  of  his  terri- 
ble swift  sword, 
His  truth  is  marching  on. 

Glory,  glory,  hallelujah ! 

Glory,  glory,  hallelujah ! 

Glory,  glory,  hallelujah! 

His  truth  is  marching  on. 

(Derickson  has  entered,  right,  near  the  close  of  the 
chorus.) 

Derickson.  Shall  I  tell  the  boys  to  stop  singing, 
Mr.  Lincoln? 

Abe.  I  would  as  soon  ask  a  man  to  stop  praying 
as  to  stop  singing,  Derickson.  (The  singing  of  the* 
soldiers  continues:) 

I  have  seen  him  in  the  watch-fires  of  a  hundred 

circling  camps, 
They  have  builded  him  an  altar  'neath  the  evening 

dews  and  damps ; 


50  SPIRIT  OF  AXX  RUTLEDG  i  m 

I  can  read  his  righteous  sentences  by  the  dim  and 

flaring  lamps, 
His  day  is  marching  on. 

Glory,  glory,  hallelujah! 

Glory,  glory,  hallelujah! 

Glory,  glory,  hallelujah! 

His  day  is  marching  on. 

Abe.  "His  day  is  marching  on."  ( The  sun  comes 
forth  brightly  as  Lincoln  says  these  words.  The 
soldiers  continue  singing:) 

In  the  beauty  of  the  lillies,  Christ  was  born  across 

the  sea 
With  a  glory  in  his  bosom  that  transfigures  you 

and  me ; 
As  He  died  to  make  men  holy,  let  us  die  to  make 

men  free, 
While  God  is  marching  on. 
Glory,  glory,  hallelujah ! 
Glory,  glory,  hallelujah ! 
Glory,  glory,  hallelujah ! 
Our  God  is  marching  on. 
Abe.     Yes,  God  is  marching  on.     We  may  forget 
his  great  march  in  our  little  march,  Derickson,  but 
God  is  marching  on. 

Derickson.  You  are  a  man  of  great  faith,  sir. 
If  men  only  had  your  faith,  there  would  be  no  war. 
Shall  I  call  Nicolai? 

Abe.  I  think  John  will  come  presently,  and  he 
needs  the  rest  if  he  can  get  it  sitting  up  in  the  train. 
(Looks  around  at  the  scene.)  Did  you  ever  see  a 
place  that  seemed  very  like  another  you  had  seen, 
Derickson  ? 

Derickson.  W7hy,  I  suppose  so,  but  I  hadn't 
thought  about  such  an  experience,  sir. 

Abe.  This  scene  seems  to  have  been  made  for  me 
this  morning  as  a  replica  of  one  many  miles  from 


act  in     SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE  51 

here  and  separated  by  years  as  well  as  miles.  It  is 
so  like  the  place  where  I  last  spoke  to  her.  She 
seemed  as  real  as  the  sunrise  this  morning. 

Derickson.     I  will  leave  you,  sir. 

Abe.  Yes.  (The  sun  has  gradually  become  a  lit- 
tle dimmer  and  the  mist  of  the  morning  enshrouds  it 
now.  Exit  Derickson,  left.  Gently)  Ann,  you 
are  here  ? 

Voice  of  Ann's  Spirit.    Yes. 

Abe.    It  will  not  be  long  now. 

Ann's  Voice.    Not  long. 

Abe.  I  have  faced  death  by  violence  many  times. 
I  know  it  is  coming,  but  I  do  not  shrink  from  it,  for 
you  are  there  as  here. 

Voice  of  Ann.  Yes,  there  as  here :  the  spirit  is 
limited  by  neither  time  nor  space. 

Abe.  Ann,  you  have  come  to  me  clearly  before, 
but  never  so  clearly  as  today.  Ann,  come  and  take 
my  hand.     Let  me  become  as  spirit  or  you  as  flesh. 

Voice.  Become  as  spirit.  You  may  become  as 
spirit. 

(Lincoln  advances  slowly  but  definitely  to  the  place 
where  he  feels  the  spirit  of  Ann  to  be.) 

Abe.  I  have  done  my  best,  Ann.  I  have  done  my 
best  for  God's  world  of  which  you  are  a  part. 

(Ann's  spirit  seems  to  come  into  a  sort  of  appear- 
ance in  white  near  Abraham. J 

Ann.    You  have  righted  many  wrongs. 

Abe.    As  you  have  led  me  into  right. 

Ann.  You  have  brought  a  new  sense  of  justice  to 
the  world. 

Abe.     As  your  spirit  has  lighted*  the  way. 

Ann.  A  new  freedom  dawned  when  you  freed 
the  slaves. 


52  SPIRIT  OF  AXX  RUTLEDGE     act  in 

Abe.  You  guided  my  mind  ;  your  hand  guided  my 
pen. 

Ann.  A  new  haven  will  come,  and  a  new  earth, 
and  the  former  things  shall  pass  away.  Love  shall 
come  among  men ;  love  shall  rule  among  men. 

Abe.    Then  peace  must  come. 

Ann.  Yes,  peace  shall  come.  Only  be  patient  a 
little ;  be  patient  as  you  have  been. 

Abe.  I  will  be  patient,  Ann.  God  will  keep  me 
patient  for  yet  a  little  while.  The  people  of  this 
country  hate  me,  Ann,  the  papers  of  the  country  have 
condemned  my  every  act,  and  I  would  gladly  leave  it 
all,  but  I  will  be  patient  if  you  will  come  to  remind 
me. 

Ann.  You  shall  live  to  see  peace  and  a  united  na- 
tion, Abraham.     (Exit  the  Spirit  of  Ann.,) 

Abe.  When?  (Suddenly  realizes  that  the  spirit 
has  gone  away.)     I  should  be  satisfied. 

(Enter  Nicolai .) 

Nicolai.     Did  you  call,  sir? 

Abe.    No,  John,  but  I  am  glad  you  came. 

Nicolai.     You  were  speaking  to  someone? 

Abe.  Yes,  and  now  I  can  see  light  in  this  strug- 
gle ;  I  can  see  the  light  of  peace.  Can  you  take  down 
a  few  notes  which  I  may  use  in  speaking  at  Gettys- 
burg today  ? 

Nicolai.  Yes,  sir ;  I  knew  you  had  nothing  pre- 
pared and  I  hoped 

Abe.  All  right,  John ;  take  this  down :  "Four 
score  and  seven  years  ago  our  fathers  brought  forth 
on  this  continent  a  new  nation  conceived  in  liberty 
and  dedicated  to  the  proposition  that  all  men  are  cre- 
ated equal.  Now  we  are  engaged  in  a  great  civil 
war,  testing  whether  that  nation  or  any  nation  so  con- 
ceived can  long  endure.  We  are  met  on  a  great  bat- 
tlefield of  that  war.     We  have  come  to  dedicate  a 


act  in     SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE  53 

portion  of  that  field  as  a  final  resting-place  for  those 
who  gave  their  lives  that  that  nation  might  live. 
(Pauses.)  It  is  altogether  fitting  and  proper  that  we 
should  do  this.  But,  in  a  larger  sense,  we  cannot  dedi- 
cate— we  cannot  consecrate — we  cannot  hallow — this 
ground.  The  brave  men,  living  and  dead,  who  strug- 
gled here  have  consecrated  it  far  above  our  poor 
power  to  add  or  to  detract.  The  world  will  little 
note  nor  long  remember  what  we  say  here,  but  it  can 
never  forget  what  they  did  here.  (Repeats)  What 
they  did  here.  (Pauses.)  It  is  for  us,  the  living, 
rather  to  be  dedicated  here  to  the  unfinished  work 
which  they  who  fought  here  have  thus  far  nobly  ad- 
vanced. It  is  rather  for  us  to  be  here  dedicated  to 
the  great  task  remaining  before  us — that  from  these 
honored  dead  we  take  increased  devotion  to  that  cause 
for  which  they  gave  the  last  full  measure  of  devo- 
tion ;  that  we  here  highly  resolve  that  these  dead  shall 
not  have  died  in  vain ;  that  this  nation,  under  God, 
shall  have  a  new  birth  of  freedom ;  and  that  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  people,  by  the  people,  and  for  the  peo- 
ple, shall  not  perish  from  the  earth." 

Nicolai.  (Looking  up,  surprised)  Is  that  all  the 
speech,  Mr.  Lincoln  ? 

Abe.    As  far  as  I  know  it  is,  John. 

CURTAIN 


ACT  IV 

As  the  curtain  rises,  the  stage  is  dimly  lighted  and 
the  setting  for  an  interior  is  almost  arranged  as 
they  arranged  stage-interiors  in  1865. 

The  stage  is  that  of  Ford's  Theatre,  Washing- 
ton. 

Ringer  enters  with  a  chair,  followed  by 
Booth.  Ringer  puts  down  the  chair  lie  is  car- 
rying  zvith  a  bang. 

Booth.  We're  ready  for  him,  hey,  my  boy? 
(Strikes  Ringer  on  the  shoulder  with  a  blow  that 
sends  Ringer  sprawling  to  the  floor.) 

Ringer.  Ready  as  good  gin  could  make  you.  Let 
me  try  your  flask  and  help  me  up,  Mr.  Booth. 

Booth.  Good  stuff.  It'll  put  the  heart  right  into 
you  when  you  need  it.  (Hands  the  flask  to  Ringer.  J 
Drain  it  if  you  want  to,  and  it  will  keep  you  ready 
for  business. 

Ringer.  (In  a  dull  way)  Grant  deserves  all 
you're  going  to  give  him.  I  never  had  no  use  for 
him.  He's  a  damned,  a  hell-damned,  swearing, 
drunken  rascal.  They  call  him  a  hero.  We'll  see 
who's  a  hero  when  you  plunk  him  full  of  lead. 

Booth.  You  do  your  duty  tonight.  Let  me  see 
your  gun.  (Ringer  hands  him  his  gun.  Booth 
looks  it  over.) 

Ringer.  Oh,  I'll  do  the  job  if  you  don't.  I  know 
that  gentleman  well  enough  to  know  I've  got  to  shoot 
straight. 

Booth.  I'll  get  him.  All  you  have  to  do  is  to 
54 


act  iv     SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE  55 

keep  my  way  out  clear  after  I've  done  my  bit.   Sober 
up  now ;  the  boss  is  coming. 

(Enter  Manager  Stetson,  left.) 

Stetson.  Good  evening,  Booth.  You're  not  in 
the  cast  tonight  ? 

Booth.  No,  unless  I  happen  to  be  needed  for  a 
bit.  There'll  be  a  packed  house  tonight  for  Miss 
Fowler. 

Stetson.  Every  seat  in  the  house  is  sold ;  stand- 
ing room  at  a  premium.  The  President  at  this  time 
brings  the  people  out  in  full  force.  We  only  an- 
nounced it  in  this  morning's  paper. 

Booth.  Yes ;  and  General  Grant  is  an  added  card, 
I  believe. 

Stetson.  Well,  he  won't  be  here,  and  we  don't 
need  him. 

Ringer.  You  say  General  Grant  won't  be  here? 
There 

Stetson.  I  don't  see  that  it  can  make  a  damned 
bit  of  difference  to  you. 

Ringer.     It  will  that,  Mr.  Stetson.     I 

Booth.  I'd  give  him  a  chaser  before  he  does  his 
bit,  or  I'll  do  it. 

Ringer.  You  gave  me  some  good  gin — (Rubs  his 
stomach) — you  know  you  did,  John  Wilkes  Booth. 
You  don't  need  me  for  your  friend  no  more.  Then 
you  just  listen — you'll  do  your  shooting  of  Grant 
yourself,  and  the  joke  is  he  ain't  here,  ain't  coming 
at  all. 

Booth.  A  little  liquor  makes  an  idle  brain  an 
idiot. 

Ringler.    Idiot !    I 

Stetson.  Put  some  extra  chairs  in  the  boxes — 
all  except  President  Lincoln's — and  some  in  the  back 
of  the  orchestra.  Money  before  music.  Crowd  the 
musicians. 


56  SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE     act  iv 

Ringer.  Yes,  sir.  (Ringer  exits,  right,  looking 
back  and  grinning  at  Booi  H.J 

Stetson.  1  guess  Ringer  will  sober  up  enough  to 
do  his  line  or  two,  but  it  won't  do  any  harm  for  you 
to  stay  around  hack.  Come  to  my  office  tomorrow. 
I  think  I'll  have  the  right  part  for  you  soon.  I've 
got  "Hamlet"  on  my  mind. 

Booth.  On  the  stage  would  suit  me  better.  I 
suppose  you're  lining  me  up  to  play  the  ghost. 

Ringek.  (Coming  back  right-stage  front)  You'd 
better  not  leave  Booth  backstage  tonight,  Mr.  Stet- 
son. 

Stetson.  You  don't  know  what  you're  talking 
about,  Ringer.  Hustle  up  and  put  the  chairs  where 
I  told  you.  Crowd  in  all  you  possibly  can.  Leave 
just  enough  room  for  the  orchestra  to  squeeze  in. 

Ringer.  All  right ;  I've  told  you  now,  and  I  ain't 
drunk.  (Exit  Ringer,  right,  with  heavy  determined 
step.) 

Stetson.  Is  there  anything  in  what  that  fellow 
says? 

Booth.     Certainly  ;  a  funny  mess. 

Stetson.  He  said  you  were  going  to  kill  Grant, 
didn't  he  ? 

Booth.  He  did;  and  you  can  see  just  how  the 
poor  fool's  drunken  brain  was  reeling  in  quite  the 
usual  way.  You  said  to  him  that  Grant  would  not  be 
here  as  expected  this  evening,  and  all  he  got  was  the 
name  of  Grant.  Now  if  he  had  any  sense  in  his 
head,  would  he  accuse  me  of  wanting  to  kill  a  man 
who  would  not  be  here  at  all  ?  Now  i  f  he  had  said 
Lincoln — hut  he  just  hit  the  name  of  Grant  from 
your  mention  of  him. 

(Enter  Miss  Fowler  in  her  stage  costume  and  make- 
up as  Miss  Angela  fret  tie,  left.) 

Stetson.     (To    Booth    and    not    noticing    Miss 


act  iv     SPIRIT  OF  AXX  RUTLEDGE  S7 

Fowler  J  Yes,  but  you  know  you  are  such  a  hot- 
headed ass.  I  hope  I  haven't  offended  you,  Booth, 
and  come  around  about  Hamlet  tomorrow. 

Miss  Fowler.     I  beg  your  pardon,  Mr.  Stetson. 

Stetson.    Oh,  yes,  Miss  Fowler. 

Booth.     Good  evening,  Miss  Fowler. 

Miss  Fowler.  Why,  Mr.  Booth,  this  is,  indeed,  a 
compliment. 

Booth.  Madame,  your  acting  has  brought  you  the 
admiration  of  everyone.  The  President  is  to  be  in 
his  box  tonight  to  pay  his  tribute  to  you. 

Miss  Fowler.     Hardly  to  me,  Mr.  Booth. 

Booth.     Oh.  yes.  Miss  Fowler,  and  well  he  may. 

Miss  Fowler.  Thank  you,  Mr.  Booth,  but  I  must 
not  forget  the  reason  of  my  interrupting  your  busi- 
ness, but  I  came  to  ask  Mr.  Stetson  not  to  let  anyone 
backstage  tonight.  (To  Booth )  Of  course,  that 
does  not  apply  to  you,  Mr.  Booth,  but  to  everyone 
else.  There  was  a  mob  at  the  stage  door  when  I 
came  in,  and  I  fear  some  may  bribe  their  way  in 
here.     I'm  a  little  nervous  tonight. 

Booth.  There's  nothing  to  be  nervous  about,  Miss 
Fowler. 

Stetson.  I'll  see  that  none  is  backstage  who 
doesn't  belong  here  myself,  Miss  Fowler,  and  I'll  tell 
Ringer  to  keep  a  strict  watch  on  the  door.  I'll  send 
for  a  few  police  if  you  wish. 

Booth.  Ringer  will  be  busy  with  a  dozen  things 
and  so  will  you,  Stetson.  I'll  guard  the  backstage 
door  if  you  wish.  After  the  play  gets  started  and  the 
people  have  cheered  the  President,  the  crowd  around 
the  stage-door  will  all  disappear  and  gather  at  the 
front  of  the  theatre  to  wait  for  a  glimpse  of  the 
President  and  Mrs.  Lincoln  after  the  play. 

Stetson.  That  settles  the  matter  very  nicely, 
Booth.  As  you  say,  there  is  no  danger  of  any  of  the 
crowd  bothering  us  by  getting  in  backstasre  except  at 
the   beginning   of    the   performance,    and   then   that 


58  SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE     activ 

bunch  will  try  to  see  the  President  around  front. 
The  people  are  wild  about  him  and  well  they  may 
be. 

Miss  Fowler.  Yes;  I'm  glad  to  give  way  to  him 
tonight.  The  people  are  coming  to  see  him  and  per- 
haps he  will  speak  to  them. 

Booth.  But  the  p'ay  is  you,  Miss  Fowler. 
Miss  Fowler.  The  country  is  his,  Mr.  Booth,  the 
whole  country  now.  Thank  you  for  your  offer  to 
watch  at  the  stage-door.  I  hope  it  will  not  interfere 
too  much  with  your  seeing  the  later  scenes  of  the 
play. 

Booth.     I  hope  not.     (Miss  Fowler  has  already 
started  to  exit,  right.     Mr.  Stetson  thinks  of  some- 
thing he  wishes  to  tell  her  and  follows  her.     Booth 
walks  to    the  President's  box  and  is   examining    it 
when  he  suddenly  starts  back  as  if  surprised  by  some- 
one.    He  bursts  madly  into  Hamlet's  speech.) 
"Angels  and  ministers  of  grace,  defend  us. 
Art  thou  a  spirit  of  health  or  goblin  damned? 
Bringst   with  thee  airs    from  heaven   or   blasts 

from  hell  ? 
O,  answer  me !" 

(Enter  Ringer,  right.) 

Ringer.     I'll  answer  you,  Mr.  Booth. 

Booth.  Hamlet  wasn't  mad,  I  tell  you — no  more 
than  I  am.  I  saw  a  spirit  as  strange  as  he  saw.  It 
was  a  woman,  the  spirit  of  a  woman,  I  tell  you. 
Right  over  there — (Points  to  the  President's  box  and 
approaches  it  fearfidly  again.  Ringer  follows  him, 
mimicking  him) — I  felt  her  breath. 

Ringer.  Feel  my  breath.  It  smells  richer  than 
any  spirit's  breath. 

Booth.  Ach!  What  did  you  mean  by  telling 
Stetson  that  I  was  going  to  kill  Grant,  you  damned 
fool? 


act  iv     SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE  59 

Ringer.  I  ain't  the  meaning  kind.  I  never  meant 
anything  in  my  life. 

Booth.  I  guess  that's  right,  but  you  came  mighty 
near  to  getting  a  rope  around  my  neck  by  what  you 
said. 

Ringer.    Well,  a  miss  is  all  right  that  misses. 

Booth.  Another  miss  like  that,  and  I'll  shoot  you 
and  the  shot  won't  miss. 

Ringer.  Come,  be  a  good  feller,  Mr.  Booth; 
there's  no  harm  done.  I'm  with  you  on  anything 
that  gets  back  at  Grant  and  his  bunch,  and  so  is  Stet- 
son, but  he  pretends  he  ain't.  I'll  swear — I'll  swear 
I'll  help  you  to  the  limit.  I  was  for  Jeff  Davis  and 
Robert  E.  Lee  and  the  glorious  South,  and  I'm  with 
them  still. 

Booth.  Yes,  we're  with  them  still  and  always 
will  be.  I'll  prove  you  tonight.  So  long  as  Grant 
won't  be  here,  I'll  get  someone  else.  All  you  have  to 
do  is  to  be  back  of  the  scenes  at  the  left  rear  wing 
with  a  loaded  revolver.  (Gives  back  the  revolver  to 
Ringer  which  he  has  taken  away  from  him  earlier 
in  the  play.)  Cover  me  after  I've  done  it  and  you 
see  me  on  the  stage.  I've  got  it  all  arranged  about 
the  horses  at  the  stage-door  when  I  get  past  you. 
Now  ring  down  the  curtain.  The  doors  have  been 
opened  and  the  people  are  coming  in.  Someone 
might  suspect  me  if  he  saw  me  here. 

Ringer.    Who  are  you  after? 

Booth.     The  biggest  traitor  against  the  South. 

Ringer.    It  ain't  the 

Booth.  You  fool,  hold  your  tongue.  Let  down 
the  curtain.  (Ringer  starts  to  exit,  right,  and  they 
both  go  out  together.) 

(The  curtain  is  lowered  a  moment  after  they  have 
left  the  stage.  Mary  Lincoln  enters  the  Presi- 
dential box  at  the  left  stage,  accompanied  by 
William  Rutledge  and  Miss  Brunner.J 


60  SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE     activ 

Rutledge.  (Helping  Mrs.  Lincoln  remove  an 
outer  wrap)  I  am  most  grateful  to  you  tonight,  Mrs. 
Lincoln.  It  is  a  great  honor  to  Miss  Brunner  and 
me. 

Mary.  You  have  General  Grant  to  thank,  Mr. 
Rutledge.  You  know  that  we  were  expecting  him 
and  Mrs.  Grant  to  be  with  us  until  late  this  afternoon 
a  message  came  saying  it  would  be  impossible  on  ac- 
count of  losing  the  train  they  counted  on.  So  yours 
was  a  last  moment  invitation  from  Mr.  Lincoln. 

Miss  Brunner.  Do  you  suppose  any  in  the  audi- 
ence will  think  I  am  Mrs.  Grant? 

Mary.  I  cannot  answer  for  that,  but  I  am  quite 
sure  that  none  will  mistake  Mr.  Rutledge  for  the 
hero  of  Appotomax. 

Rutledge.  I  hardly  know  whether  I  am  to  take 
that  as  a  compliment,  Mrs.  Lincoln,  but  thank  you. 
Shall  I  sit  in  the  front  of  the  box? 

Mary.  It  would  be  an  honor  to  General  Grant  to 
know  that  his  place  was  so  well  filled,  Mr.  Rutledge. 

Rutledge.  I  was  not  thinking  about  myself,  Mrs. 
Lincoln.    I  thought  my  sitting  there  might 

Mary.     Might  what,  Mr.  Rutledge? 

Rutledge,  I  fear  for  the  President,  Mrs.  Lin- 
coln. It  is  not  too  late  for  me  to  take  the  front  seat. 
He  isn't  there  yet. 

Mary.  No  ;  and  please  do  not  mention  your  fears 
to  the  President  tonight.  He  would  not  have  come 
at  all,  but  he  hated  to  disappoint  the  people.  I  do 
not  like  these  premonitions  he  has,  for  it  seems  to 
me  a  weakness  in  a  man,  but  he  hasn't  given  in  to 
them  tonight.  Mr.  Lincoln  regards  you  very  highly, 
Mr.  Rutledge,  so  please  try  to  make  the  evening  a 
pleasant  one  for  him.  I  wonder  why  he  isn't  here 
this  minute.  He  was  with  you,  Miss  Brunner,  com- 
ing up  the  stairs. 

Miss  Brunner.    He  stopped  to  speak  to  two  men 


act  iv     SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE  61 

just  outside  the  box  and  asked  me  to  excuse  him, 
Mrs.  Lincoln.    I  thought  you  heard  him. 

Mary.  No  ;  but  it's  been  just  like  that  the  last 
four  years  and  now,  I  suppose,  it's  going  to  be  just 
as  bad  four  years  more — people  will  call  him  aside 
no  matter  where  he  is  going  to  get  some  appointment 
or  favor  and  won't  give  him  a  chance  to  breathe  and 
live.  I  hope  his  vest  is  buttoned.  I  have  to  look  out 
for  all  of  those  things,  Miss  Brunner. 

Miss  Brunner  (Glancing  at  RutledgeJ  I  sup- 
pose I  may  have  such  responsibilities  some  day. 

Rutledge.     Please,  Mrs.  Lincoln. 

Mary.  No  ;  be  seated  here.  (They  sit  down. 
Mary  in  the  front  of  the  box  with  the  other  front 
seat  unoccupied,  Miss  Brunner  and  Rutledge  in 
back.) 

(Lincoln  enters  the  box.) 

Abe.  (At  the  door  of  the  box)  Yes,  at  nine 
o'clock  tomorrow  morning,  Mr.  Ashmun.  (Nico- 
lai  enters  box.)  John,  please  put  down  an  appoint- 
ment with  Mr.  Ashmun  at  nine  o'clock  tomorrow 
morning. 

Nicolai.    Yes,  Mr.  President. 

(Miss  Brunner  and  Rutledge  have  arisen  to  greet 
Lincoln.  ) 

Abe.  (To  Miss  Brunner,)  Miss  Brunner,  my 
thanks  to  you  for  coming  at  so  late  an  hour,  and  Rut- 
ledge, I  want  to  thank  you.  It  is  very  kind  of  the 
young  folks,  don't  you  think  so,  Mrs.  Lincoln? 

Mary.    Yes. 

Rutledge.    Thank  you,  President  Lincoln. 

(Lincoln  comes  to  the  vacant  seat  in  the  front  of 
the  box.    The  orchestra  leader  signals  to  the  or- 


62  SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE     activ 

chcstra  and  the  orchestra  bursts  forth  with  the 
strains  of  "Hail  to  the  Chief!") 

Lincoln.  (A  spot  light  on  him  is  the  only  light 
used  during  his  speech)  "Friends  and  fellow-citi- 
zens of  these  United  States  of  America,  tonight  a 
new  joy  comes  to  me  as  I  repeat  the  words  these 
United  States,  for  they  have  once  again  their  true 
meaning  in  the  light  of  the  peace  which  has  come  to- 
day in  answer  to  a  million  earnest  prayers. 

"Four  years  ago,  all  were  anxiously  directed  to  an 
impending  civil  war.  All  dreaded  it — all  sought  to 
avert  it.  Yet  while  the  inaugural  address  was  be- 
ing delivered,  devoted  altogether  to  the  saving  of  the 
Union  without  war,  insurgent  agents  were  in  the  city 
seeking  to  destroy  it  without  war — seeking  to  dis- 
solve the  Union  and  divide  effects,  by  negotiation. 
Both  parties  deprecated  war ;  but  one  of  them  would 
make  war  rather  than  let  the  nation  survive;  the 
other  would  accept  war  rather  than  let  the  nation 
perish.    And  the  war  came. 

"One-eighth  of  the  whole  population  were  col- 
ored, not  distributed  generally  over  the  Union,  but 
localized  in  the  Southern  part  of  it.  These  slaves 
constituted  a  peculiar  and  powerful  interest.  All 
knew  that  this  interest  was,  somehow,  the  cause  of 
the  war.  To  strengthen,  perpetuate,  and  extend  this 
interest  was  the  object  for  which  the  insurgents 
would  rend  the  Union,  even  by  war ;  while  the  Gov- 
ernment claimed  no  right  to  do  more  than  to  restrict 
the  territorial  enlargement  of  it.  Neither  party  ex- 
pected for  the  war  the  magnitude  or  the  duration 
which  it  attained.  Neither  expected  that  the  cause 
of  the  conflict  might  cease  with,  or  even  before,  the 
conflict  itself  should  cease.  Each  looked  for  an 
easier  triumph,  and  a  result  less  fundamental  and  as- 
tounding. Both  read  the  same  Bible,  and  prayed  to 
the  same  God.    The  prayers  of  both  could  not  be  an- 


act  iv     SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE  63 

swered,  the  prayers  of  neither  have  been  fully  an- 
swered, but  it  suffices  that  at  last  both  have  joined 
hands  in  peace.  Let  us  then  thankfully  accept  this 
peace  and  abide  by  the  words  spoken  three  thousand 
years  ago,  'The  judgments  of  the  Lord  are  true  and 
righteous  altogether.' 

"With  malice  toward  none ;  with  charity  for  all ; 
with  firmness  in  the  right,  as  God  gives  us  to  see  the 
right,  let  us  strive  to  finish  the  work  we  are  now  fac- 
ing; to  bind  up  the  nation's  wounds,  to  care  for  him 
who  has  borne  the  battle,  and  for  his  widow  and 
orphan — to  do  all  that  may  achieve  a  just,  a  lasting 
peace  among  ourselves  and  with  all  nations." 

(As  Lincoln  sits  down  the  orchestra  plays  a  patriot- 
ic air,  at  the  conclusion  of  which  the  stage  cur- 
tain goes  up  and  we  are  presented  with  a  play 
called  "The  Intrusive  Cousin.") 

Mr.  Trumbull.    Then  you  claim  a  lady. 

Sir  Ronald.     I  have  a  lady 

Trumbull.    But  you  have  her  not. 

Sir  Ronald.    I  hold 

Trumbull.     If  you  hold  your  tongue,  'tis  well. 

Sir  Ronald.  Vulgar  unknown !  Unheard-of  pre- 
tender, how  come  you  here  ? 

Trumbull.  Vulgar?  I  suppose  you  know  that 
vulgar  means  "commone."  I  willingly  allow  "vul- 
gar." "Unheard-of"  may  mean  extraordinary  with 
a  little  stretching — I  would  not  deny  it  utterly. 

Sir  Ronald.  Here  is  my  answer,  want-wit. 
(Throws  his  glove  at  Trumbull's  cheek.) 

Trumbull.  Didn't  hurt,  but  I'll  tell  my  cousin. 
I'm  your  lady's  cousin.      (Exit  Trumbull,  right.) 

Sir  Ronald.  (Adjusting  his  necktie)  Her 
cousin !  Impossible !  I  would  not  believe  it.  And 
yet — it  cannot  be,  for  he  is  coarse,  brutish,  low,  slav- 


64  SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE     activ 

ish — and  she!     Ah!     She!     She  is  fair,  lovely,  rich, 
royal. 

(Enter  Miss  Fowler  as  Miss  Angela   FrettleJ 

Angela.     Have  you  seen  my  cousin,  Sir  Ronald? 

Sir  Ronald.  Your  cousin,  madame,  a  man  !  That 
man ! 

Angela.  Yes,  Sir  Ronald,  a  man,  a  man  cousin. 
He's  timid  and  shy,  hut  a  hero  at  heart. 

(Booth  shoots  Lincoln  during  this  speech.  Booth 
is  not  seen  till  lie  jumps  to  the  stage  or  runs 
across  the  stage.  Ringer  steps  out  from  left 
wing  to  aid  Booth. ) 

Booth.  (Corning  between  Angela  and  Sir  Ron- 
ald, limping.  To  Angela,)  Just  a  hit  on  my  own 
account.     Go  on  with  the  play. 

Angela.     (To  BoothJ     Yes,  hut 

Booth.  (Fiercely)  Go  on.  I  know  what  I'm  do- 
ing. The  Booths  are  great  actors.  (Hobbling  over  to 
right  exit  covered  by  RingerJ     I  did  it. 

Ringer.    The  president  ? 

Booth.  I  shot  him.  My  leg  is  broken.  Cover 
me.     (Pushes  Ringer  dozvn  as  he  goes  past  him.) 

(Stetson  enters,  right.) 

Stetson.    Pull  down  the  curtain. 
Voice  of  Booth.    Sic  semper  Tyrannis. 
Miss  Fowler.     Is  this  a  part  of  the  play,  too? 
Another  bit  like  Booth's  ? 

Stetson.    Then  it  is  Booth.    Then  Booth 

Miss  Fowler.    What  about  Booth  ? 
Stetson.     He  has  killed  President  Lincoln. 

(Curtain  is  lowered.  The  curtains  of  Lincoln's  box 
are  closed,  but  a  light  appears  on  them  which 


act  iv     SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE  65 

comes  slowly  to  the  stage  where  the  Spirit  of 
Ann  Rutledge  appears  in  front  of  the  cur- 
tain.) 

Voice  of  Lincoln.  They've  all  gone,  Ann. 
There's  noone  in  the  theatre,  noone  but  you  and  me. 
What  happened,  Ann?  There  was  a  noise,  a  terrible 
noise  and  confusion.     Is  there  war  again? 

Ann.  No  ;  there  will  never  be  another  civil  war  in 
America  again. 

Abe.  But,  Ann,  what  was  the  noise?  I  hear  it 
still.    Were  you  here  ? 

Ann.     I  was  here,  Abraham. 

Abe.  Ann,  you  remember  what  you  promised — 
never  to  leave  me  forever  ? 

Ann.    And  was  my  promise  kept? 

Abe.  Yes,  Ann,  and  it  will  be  kept.  You  were 
with  me  in  Salem ;  you  were  with  me  in  Springfield  ; 
you  were  with  me  in  the  White  House  when  I  came 
there ;  you  were  there,  and  through  the  war,  through 
the  awful  war. 

Ann.  Yes,  I  was  with  you,  but  I  did  not  do  your 
work.    It  was  God — everything  good  is  God. 

Abe.  And  shall  I  finish  my  work?  Can  I  bind 
this  broken  nation  ? 

Ann.  This  nation  is  not  broken,  Abraham.  It 
has  been  healed  once  again,  and  you  shall  guide  it, 
for  your  spirit  can  never  die. 

Abe.  Ann,  we  are  not  in  the  theatre.  We  are  liv- 
ing.    Where  are  we? 

Ann.  Is  it  not  enough  that  we  are  living?  I 
know  of  a  truth  that  I  live.  We  are  living  now 
wherever  God  wills,  and  His  will  is  heaven.  Be  pa- 
tient, Abraham;  you  will  learn  if  you  are  patient. 

Abe.  Yes,  Ann,  I  wi1l  be  patient ;  but,  Ann,  why 
are  you  so  young  and  fair  and  shining  and  clothed  as 
if  in  livino-  flame  from  off  God's  altar?  Am  I  at  last 
become  a  living  spirit  ? 


66  SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE     act  iv 

Ann.  Yes,  a  living  spirit,  Abraham,  for  all  who 
have  lived  in  the  spiril  are  living  spirits  and  shall 
live  forever  and  forever.  (Ann  steps  within  the 
curtain  and  u  d  by  Lincoln.     Ligths  off  on 

the  stage.) 

CURTAIN 


ARE  YOU  A  MASON? 

Farce  in  3  acts.  By  Leo  Ditrichstein.  7  males,  7  £e< 
males.     Modern  costumes.    Plays  2%  hours.     1  interior. 

"Are  You  a  Mason?"  is  one  of  those  delightful  farces  like 
"Charley's  Aunt"  that  are  always  fresh.  "A  mother  and  a 
daughter,"  says  the  critic  of  the  New  York  Herald,  "had  hus« 
bands  who  account  for  absences  from  the  joint  household  on. 
frequent  evenings,  falsely  pretending  to  be  Masons.  The  men 
do  not  know  <^ch  other's  duplicity,  and  each  tells  his  wife  of 
having  advanced  to  leadership  in  his  lodge.  The  older  woman 
was  so  well  pleased  with  her  husband's  supposed  distinction  in 
the  order  that  she  made  him  promise  to  put  up  the  name  of  a 
visiting  friend  for  membership.  Further  perplexity  over  the 
principal  liar  arose  when  a  suitor  for  his  second  daughter's  hand 
proved  to  be  a  real  Mason.  ...  To  tell  the  story  of  the  play 
would  require  volumes,  its  complications  are  so  numerous.  It  is 
a  house  of  cards.  One  card  wrongly  placed  and  the  whole  thing 
would  collapse.  But  it  stands,  an  example  of  remarkable  in* 
genuity.  You  wonder  at  the  end  of  the  first  act  how  the  fun 
can  be  kept  up  on  such  a  slender  foundation.  But  it  continues 
and  grows  to  the  last  curtain."  One  of  the  most  hilariously 
amusing  farces  ever  written,  especially  suited  to  schools  and 
Masonic  Lodges.     (Royalty,  twenty-five  dollars.)      Price,  7s  Gent*. 


KEMPY 

A  deiightful  comedy  in  3  acts.  By  .-,.  C.  Nugent  »n£ 
Elliott  Nugent.  4  males,  4  females.  1  interior  throughout 
Costumes,  modern.     Plays  2^  hours. 

■No  wonder  "Kempy"  has  been  such  a  tremendous  hit  in  New 
*ork,  Chicago — wherever  it  has  played.  It  snaps  with  wit  and 
oumor  of  the  most  delightful  kind.  It's  electric.  It's  small- 
-own  folk  perfectly  pictured.  Full  of  types  of  varied  sorts,  each 
one  done  to  a  turn  and  served  with  zestful  sauce.  An  ideal 
entertainment  for  amusement  purposes.  The  story  is  about  a  high- 
falutin'  daughter  who  in  a  fit  of  pique  marries  the  young  plumber- 
architect,  who  come'-  to  fix  the  water  pipes,  just  because  ho 
"understands"  hf  Aaving  read  her  book  and  having  sworn  to 
marry  the  authoresd.  But  in  that  story  lies  all  the  humor  that 
•:ept  the  audience  laughing  every  second  of  every  act.  Of  course 
there  are  lots  of  ramifications,  each  of  which  bears  its  own  brand 
of  laughter-making  potentials.  But  the  plot  and  the  Btory  are 
not  the  main  things.  There  is,  for  instance,  the  work  of  the 
company.  The  fun  growing  out  of  this  family  mixup  is  lively  and 
clean.      (Royalty,  twenty-five  dollars.)  Price,  75  Cents. 

SAMUEL  FRENCH,  25  West  45th  Street,  New  York  City 
Our    New    Catalogue    Will    Be    Sent    on   Receipt    of    Five    Cents. 


.       MRS.   WIGGS   OF    THE 
CABBAGE    PATCH 

Dramatization  in  3  acts,  by  Anne  Crawford  Pleznef  from 
the   novel   by   Alice   Hdgan    Rice.      15    males,    11    females. 

1  interior,  1  exterior.     Costumes  modern  and  rustic.     Plays 
a  full  evening. 

A    capital    dramatization    of    the    ever-beloved   Mrs.    Wiggs   and 
her  friends,   people   who  have   entered  the   hearts  and   mind 
nation.     Mrs.  Schultz  and  Lovey  Mary,  the  pessimistic  Mill 
and  the  others  need  no  new   introduction.      Here   is  chars* 
tion,    humor,    pathos,    and    what    is    best    and    most    appealing    in 
modern   American   life.      The   amateur   acting   rights   are   reserved 
for    the    present    in    all    cities    and    towns    where    there    are    stock 
sompanies.     Royalty  will  be  quoted  on  application  for  those  cities 
and   towns  where   it   may   be   presented   by  amateurs. 

Price,  75  Cents. 

THE   FOUR-FLUSHER 

Comedy  in  3  acts.     By  Caesar  Dunn.     8  males,  5  females. 

2  interiors.     Modern  costumes.     Plays  2%  hours. 

A  comedy  of  hustling  American  youth,  "The  Four-Flusher"  is 
one  of  those  clean  and  bright  plays  which  reveal  the  most  appeal* 
ing  characteristics  of  our  native  types.  Here  is  an  amusing  story 
of  a  young  shoe  clerk  who  through  cleverness,  personality,  and 
plenty  of  wholesome  faith  in  himself,  becomes  a  millionaire.  The 
play  is  best  described  as  "breezy."  It  is  full  of  human  touches, 
and  develops  a  most  interesting  story.  It  may  be  whole-heartedly 
recommended  to   high   schools.      (Poyalty,    twenty-five   dollars.) 

Price,  75  Cents. 

PALS   FIRST 

Comedy  in  a  prologue  and  3  acts.  By  Lee  Wilson  Dodd. 
8  males,  3  females.  1  interior,  1  exterior.  Modern  cos- 
tumes.    Plays  21/1>  hours. 

Based  on  the  successful  novel  of  the  same  name  by  F.  P. 
Elliott,  "Pals  First"  is  a  decidedly  picturesque  mystery  play. 
Danny  and  the  Dominie,  a  pair  of  tramps,  enter  a  mansion  and 
persuade  the  servants  and  friends  that  they  belong  there.  They 
are  not  altogether  wrong,  though  it  requires  the  intervention  of 
a  judge,  two  detectives,  a  villain  and  an  attractive  girl  to  un- 
tangle the  complications.  A  most  ingenious  play,  well  adapted 
to  performance  by  high  schools  and  colleges.  (Royalty,  twenty- 
five  dollars.)  Price,  75  Cents. 

SAMUEL  FRENCH,  25  West  45th  Street,  New  York  City   ^ 
Our    New    Catalogue    Will    Be    Sent    on    Receipt    of    Five    I 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS  URBANA 
973  7L63H3G14S  C001 

SPIRIT  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE  NY 


